The Life Of Father De Smet S J 1801-1873

cZ

125664

P. J, UE BMET,

THE LIFE OF
FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

(1801-1873)
By E. LAVEILLE, S.J.

AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION BY MARIAN LINDSAY
INTRODUCTION BY CHARLES COPPENS, S.j.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK

P. J. KENEDY & SONS
19*5

REMY LAFORT, S.T.D.

Crnsor

CARDINAL FARLEY

Atchbisfap tif Woe York

1H,

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ................... xni

CHAPTER I

CHILDHOOD YOUTH DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA
(1801^1821)

Tenmonde The Family 4I Honest Do Smet" The Parish Priest of
Heiuufon ft'ttT'M Birth His Childhood "Samson" His First
StudiwiBcirvi'Ule, St, Nicolas, Most, Mechlin His Vocation Father
Nerinckx Young Do Smct with Eight Companions Leaves Secretly
Irjr Arm*rnvv-*His Brother Charles is Sent to Find Him The Police of
King William- Arrival at Georgetown ,,.,.,*. I

CHAPTER II

THE NOVITIATB ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI

Tin* Jrsuitd in New Fmneu and Maryland Bishop C^n-oU--Whitcrnarsh
Father Vnn Quu'k*mborne Peter Do Smet at the Novitiate De-
* ft*r Mi^mn u A Floating Monastery' 1 Florissant Madam
inc -*" Samsott/ 1 Ardiituct and Cari>entor 'First Vows ... 24

CHAPTER III

THK SCHOLASTICATB PRIESTHOOD FIRST LABORS
(1823-1830)

Van Qtuckenborne at once Superior, Professor, Parish Priest at
FtorL**mttt, and Chaplain of tho Sacred Heart Convent-^Father De
THeuic -P<rter De Simst*n Studies Confidence Reposed in Him by His
Suprtiafa Hbt TiwUt for Natural Setenee The Priesthood Joost De
$met*# Dimth - Uto Third Year Beginning of Apostolic Work
Fk>ri?ttttwit, St. (^orltJH, ctc\The "Indian College * ? The Plan for a
**H^ttction M --Cin:umHUinctii Preventing Its Accomplishment ... 41

CHAPTER IV

TH ST. W)iriS COttEOB SOJOURN IN EtTROPB
(1830-1837)

8C IxHK "the Queen of tho West"-BuUding the Collago Father De
Scwt, Prefect^ Protewr of Efigtiah, and lViximtot--Rapld

iv CONTENTS

The College is Given the Title and Privileges of a University Financial
Embarrassment Father De Smet is Sent to Europe to Obtain Money
His Health Requires a Change A Visit to His Family, to Benefactors,
and to Mr. De Nef A Financial Success Father De Smet Wishes to Sail
A Serious Illness Forces Him to Return to Belgium He Obtains
Permission to Leave the Society Services Rendered to the Nuns at
Termtmde The Foundation of the Carmelites at Alost His Devotion
to the Missions As Soon as His Health is Restored He Returns to
Missouri, and is Readmitted to the Society of Jesus 57

CHAPTER V

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION (1838-1839)

Progress Made by the Jesuits in Missouri Father Van Quickenborne's
Apostolate to the Indians His Death Fathers De Smet and Verreydt
are Sent to Open a Mission for the Potawatomics at Council ftiuffs
First Journey on the Missouri A Dinner at the Otovs The Disposi-
tion of the Indians Their Conversion will be "a Work of God'*
The Missionaries' First Successes Loneliness and Privations Father
De Smet Effects a Reconciliation between the Sioux and the Pota-
watomics Whiskey "What Could One Do with Two Thousand
Drunken Indians?" Father DC Smet's Journey to St. Louis lie is
Replaced at Council Bluffs by Father Christian Hoeckcn . ... 77

CHAPTER VI

THE PLATHEADS. FIRST JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS (1840)

The Growing Prosperity of the United States The Indian Siturttinn
Admirable Dispositions of the Flatheads Old Ignatius -The Indians
Who Four Times Made a Three- thousand-mile Journey to Obtain the
Black Robes Father DC Smet is Sent to the Rocky Mountain* to
Prepare the Foundation of a New MissionHow (hi Traveled in
1840 Across the Prairies A Meeting between Father IX* 8ntt ami Hut
Flatheads One of Napoleon's Grenadiers A Sojourn in th* C'anup
of Big Face The Missionary's JoysOn the Summit t>f the Rockies -
Sanctus Ignatius Patronus J!tf0tttfKfi*-Pather Uc Smvl Lftivr* the
Flatheads Dangers He Encountered in the Yellowstone --Triumphant
Reception by the Sioux- He Returns to St. Louis .,,., 96

CHAPTER VII

SECOND JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS ST. MARY'S MISSION

(1841-1842)

Father De Smet Returns to the Mountains with Father* Point aw! Men*
garim- Difficulties of the Journey A Cyclone on the Matte* ~- H&il.
Majestic Rock! Arrival at Fort Hall The Bitter Rtt Kiivr
Founding of St. Mary's Mission A New Paraguay Th Firj*t I$AJ-
tisms Solemnization of Marriages-*- The BUAsttl Virgin A^Hwm t* a
Child The Order of the Day at the Mistfun"-P*m*r of the NVw

CONTENTS v

Christians The Winter Hunt The First Communion Death of
Big Face 119

CHAPTER VIII

JOURNEYS TO FORT COLVILLE AND FORT VANCOUVER THE

KALISPELS AND THE CCEUR D'ALENES FATHER

BLANCHET (1841-1842)

The Privations of the Missionaries Father De Smet Goes to Fort Colville
to Gut Provisions The Kalispels Baptism of Some Old Indians
Afessis quidem Multa, Operarii Autem Pauci First Attempt at Farming
at St. Mary's Journey to Fort Vancouver The Coeur d'Alenes
Father De Smet Sees Five of His Companions Drowned in the Columbia
Oregon in 1840 Fathers Blanchet and Demers A Mission Must
Be Opened at Willamette Father De Smet's Return to St. Louis
On His Way Back He is Received by the Crows Dominus Memor
JFuit Nostri, et Benedixit Nobis 136

CHAPTER IX

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE (1843-1844)

Fathers Do Vos and Adrian Hoccken are Sent to the Mountains Father
I)c Smet and Daniel O'Conncll A National Meeting Journey to
Rome Father De Smet Received by the Pope Gregory XVI Wishes
to Make Htm a Bishop New Missionaries Sisters of Notre Dame
Frum Antwerp to Vancouver around the Horn A Seven Months'
Journey Storms, Shortage of Food, Reefs 153

CHAPTER X

THE OREGON MISSIONS (1844-1846)

The Jesuits ami Sisters of Notre Dame at Willamette St. Francis Xavier's
Misssim Father De Smet, Organiser of the Missions How He En-
uwl Aided His Fellow- Missionaries St. Ignatius' Mission at
kaitapch; Father Adrian Hoocken The Sacred Heart Mission at
thtt Ountr cl'Al&nes; Fathers Point and Joset Louise Sighouin
Visit to St. Mary's; Fathers Mongarini and Zcrbinati Jesuits' Success
at WillunwlU;; Fathers Accolti, RavalH r Vercruysse, and De Vos
Father Nobxii iss Sent to Now Caledonia Father Do Smet's Visit to the
Ctwui<Hi>rv4, Flathow, and Kootunais The Missions of St. Paul,
Crtlvilta, St Vet&r of tho Lake r St. Francis Regis, the Assumption, and
thtf Immaculate Heart of Mary Father Ravalli Goes to Join Father
Hotvkcn at St. Ignatius' Mission How Account for Father DC
8uccea*?~A Would-be Murtlerer who Became a Model
162

CHAPTER XI

TUB QUEST OF THE BLACKFBET (l 845-"* 846)

St Mftty's Million Threatened Father De Smet Goes in Search of the
BlwWwt to Induce Thorn to Make Peace Autumn in the Rocky

vi CONTENTS

Mountains Mir&bilia opera Domini Coming upon the Camp of the
Assiniboins A Feast with the Indians "Like a Fish on a Hook"
Father De Smet Arrives at Rocky Mountain House A Band of
Blackfeet Come to Join Him The Dangerous Interpreter The In-
accessible Tribe The Missionary Decides to Pass the Winter at
Fort Edmonton He Visits St. Anne's Mission On a Sledge from
Saskatchewan to AthabascaA Christian Who Had Not Seen a Priest
for Forty Years Crossing the Mountains when the Snow Was Melting
To Reduce His Weight Father De Smet Fasts for Thirty Days-
Descent of the Columbia A Meeting with Father Nobili Journey to
Vancouver and Willamette The Grotesque Indian Progress of the
Missions Victory of the Flatheads over the Crows The Impression
Produced on the Blackfeet Father De Smet's Complete Success
*' Exaltation of the Holy Cross" Father Point is Charged to Open a
Mission for the Blackfeet Father De Smet's Return to St. Ixmis
The Aricaras The Sioux The Missionary's Prodigious Labors
Consoling Results 179

CHAPTER XII

THIRD VOYAGE TO EUROPE PUBLICATION OF THE "LET-
TERS" VISIT TO THE SIOUX (1847-1848)

Father De Smot Goes to Europe with Father Elet The "Journeys to the
Rocky Mountains "and "The Missions of Oregon " Interest Manifest**!
in the Works of Father De Smet " Such a Book Revives Our Faith
in the Gospel of St. John" The Revolution of 1^48 Arrival in
America of the Jesuits Driven Out of Europe Across the " Hud Land*;"
The Poncas Father Do Smet with the Sioux The " Scalp Damv"
The Daughter of Rod Fish Plans for a New Mission . . , JO*

CHAPTER XIH

FATHER BE SMET, ASSISTANT TO THE VICE-PROVINCIAL AXD
PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI (1849)

Father Van dc Velde, Appointed Bishop of Chicagu, u Ri*jjfc*v>l
Father De Smet The Missouri Vice-Province in 1840* '-
Smet Socius His FirmnessHis Goodness History of
Father DC Smet's Attachment to the Kansas Missions- -St. Mary's
Mission to the PoLawatomics Fathers C. Hcxscktfn, I)uirinvle t tfttv-*
St. Francis Hieronymo's Mission to the Osages Fathers Sdii*'iirr<akm
and Bax A New Apostolic Vioariatt Bishop Midgel^ithtir IV
Smet as Procurator His Capable AdministrationHis Kffort* to
Obtain Money Providence Comes to His AidGntthndt* to IJvne-
factors " A Year of Accidents ''Father De Smet during the Cholera
and the Great Fire St, Louis University Saved thruugh the Inter-
cession of the Blessed Virgin *l

CHAPTER XIV

THE FORT LARAMIB COUNCIL (1851)

Discovery of Gold in California The White Invasion- The American
Government Invites the Tribes to a Conference in which Father* t>*

CONTENTS vii

Smct and C. Hoecken are to Take Part Cholera on Board the St.Ange
Father DC Smet's Serious Illness Father Hoecken's Death His
Health Hardly Reestablished, Father De Smet Visits the Indians
during an Epidemic of Smallpox A Journey across the Wilderness
The Highway to the Pacific The Great Council Points Submitted
for Deliberation Father De Smet's Successful Efforts An Era of
Peace for the Redskins Return to St. Louis Visit to St. Mary's
Mission 229

CHAPTER XV

THE YEARS OP TRIAL (1848-1855)

Father De Smct Ardently Desires to Again Take Up His Mission Work
The Indians Petition Him to Come to Them The Father General Dis-
approves of His Project What Could Have Happened? Complaints
Made Against Father De Smet by Some of His Assistants His Reply
Ntiw Complaints Again Father De Smet is Justified The Flathead
Mission Must Be Abandoned The Father General Renders Justice to
Father De vSmct's Zeal and Sincerity, but Does Not Deem It Prudent
to Open New Missions The Missionary's Work Must Stand the
Test of Time How it is Judged Fifty Years Later Death of Father
Elet, Madam Duehcsne, and Father Roothaan " Why, My Soul,
Would You Escape the Cross?" Father De Smet's Superiors Think
of Sending Him to Reside Permanently in One of the European Prov-
inces His Letter to the Holland Provincial He is Left in St. Louis
He Pronounces His Solemn Vows His Courageous Obedience Wins
for Him New and Greater Successes 239

CHAPTER XVI
PROGRESS MADE BY CATHOLICISM IN THE XTNITBD STATES

FATHER DE SMET*S APOSTOLATE IN ST. LOUIS THE

"KNOW-NOTHINGS" (1849-1858)

Extraorilinury Growth of Colonization Progress of Catholicism The
First Plenary Council of Baltimore The Oxford Movement and Its
!JTect in America Bcdcston, Brownson, Hecker Success of the
Jesuit*; in St. Loui# Fathers Smarius, Damon, Weninger Father
I)c SK't*8 Apostolate The Emigrants His Former Traveling Com-
panions St. Anne's Church- The Direction of Souls Protestant
Conversions-- The Conversion of Randolph Benton Attacks from
Ktiomk'K <>C the Church Boernstcin, Kossuth, Lola Montez~-The
" Kiu>w-Hothings f> -Attack upon Archbishop Bedim "There is No
Other Country in the World where Honest Men Enjoy so Little Liberty"
The Jesuits arc Not Spared Fathers Bapst and Nachon End of
th Atfitution which Served but to Strengthen Catholicism Father
be $mt w Agnin Spoken of for the Episcopate* 1 My Heart is Always
with the Indian* " 253

CHAPTER XVII

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MORMONS PACIFICATION OF

OREGON CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS (1858-1859)
P*her De Smet fc Authorised by the Father General to Return to the
Gwwrameat Sends Troopa Against the Monnoa>-

viii CONTENTS

Father De Smet is Appointed Chaplain of the Troops The Oregon
Missions Prosper Testimony of Protestants The Arrival of the
Whites in the Far West Their Treatment of the Indians The Missions
are in Danger St. Paul's at Fort Colville Must Be Abandoned for a
TimeThe Uprising of the Tribes Colonel Steptoe's Defeat General
Harney, Sent to Subdue Oregon, Asks Father De Smet to Mediate
Colonel Wright's Victory Indians Conquered, but Not Reconciled
Father De Smet Visits the Coeur d'Alenes and afterward the Other
Tribes The Chiefs Accompany Him to Vancouver to Sign the Peace
Treaty He Sees Signs of New Uprisings General Harney Informs
the Secretary of War of the Plan of Father De Smet Captain Pleason-
ton's Letter State of the "Reductions*' Father Hoecken Founds St.
Peter's Mission for the Blackfect Father DC Smet Returns to St. Louis
He Has Traveled Fifteen Thousand Miles in One Year , . . . 268

CHAPTER XVIII

FAMILY INTERCOURSE JOURNEYS TO EUROPE (1853-1860)

" The Rule of St. Ignatius Does Not Forbid Us to Love Our Family "
Father De Smet's Devotion to His Family He Shared in All Their Joys
and Sorrows Even His Letters Are an Apostolate His Many Journeys
in Belgium Death of His Brother Charles Father De Smet's Con-
ferences His Timidity His Talcs Impressions of a Belgian Semin-
arian Scenes on Board the Ihtmboldt Shipwreck A Sunrise at
Sea The Missionary Receives an Ovation upon His Return tu St.
Louis ...................... 286

CHAPTER XIX

THE WAR OF SECESSION (1861-1865)

Civil War in the United States The Battle of Bull Run Anarchy in
Missouri Father Do Smet's Trials Father DC Smet Secures a Suh*u!y
for the Indian Schools Obtains Military Exemption for the Jesuit:;
His Intercourse with Lincoln A Dinnerat the Belgian Legation -Pub-
lication of the "Western Missions one! Missionaries" ami the "Nrw
Indian Sketches" It is Said that Father I)e Smet Did Not Write the
"Letters" He Addresses a Protest to the German Provinefcti -The
Sisters of St. Mary in America The War Ends Jesuit Chaplains -~
Missions Given in the Large Cities "The Church of These Fathers
Must Be the Church of Jesus Christ" The Oath Required by the
State of Missouri Catholicism Makes Great Progress . . , * 399

CHAPTER XX

A TOUR OP THE MISSIONS (1862-1863)

The Needs of the Missions'Father De Smet Sends Yearly
the Oregon Missions The Journey in i86a-~- St. Peter's
The Journey in 1863 ''This Is the Black Roto Who Saved My Swtwr"
Triumphal Journey through Oregon The Fervor f the Orwr
d f Aldnes Sad Porelxxlings Keturn Journey by California,
and New York The Lost Returns Father IV Smet';t
His Friends are Dying One by One-- 4 * I Have an Inner

CONTENTS ix

that My End is Approaching. Fiat voluntas Dei! " Restoration to
Health 309,

CHAPTER XXI

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX FATHER DE SMET'S JOURNETT

OF PACIFICATION (1864)

Initial Troubles between the Whites and the Indians War against the
Redskins Discovery of Gold Mines Long Known to Father De Smet
The Reservations One Hundred Thousand Indians Disappear within
Ten Years The Uprising of the Sioux Tribes The Minnesota Mas-
sacreGenerals Sibley and Sully are Sent to Subdue the Rebels
Father De Smet's Journey Ho Goes Up the Missouri as Far as Fort
Bcrthold The Grosventres, Aricaras, and Mandans Conference with
the Sioux They Accept Terms of Peace General Sully's Mistake
Father De Smct Returns to St. Louis 31$

CHAPTER XXII

SEVENTH JOURNEY TO EUROPE LAST JOURNEY TO THE-
MOUNTAINS (1863-1866)

A Bad Crossing Father De Smet Assists in Rome at the Beatification
of Blessed Peter Canisius Charles Rogicr Manifests His Regard for
Father De Smet He is Made a Knight of the Order of Leopold Fare-
well to Belgium Father De Smct Declines a Third Time the Honor
of the Episcopate He Goes Up the Missouri as Far as Fort Ben ton
He Confers Baptism on Hundreds of Children The Yanktons
Pananniapupi * 331

CHAPTER XXIII

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION (1867)

Ago of Infirmities -The Whites Continue to Harass the Indians The
Massacres of Six Hundred Cheyonncs The Insurrection Spreads
Father DC Smet is Sent upon a New Mission A Journey through
Iowa "Major De Smet" Generals Sully and Parker Join the Mis-
sionary Conference with the Indians on the Borders of the Missouri-
Iron Shield's Discourse Father Do Smct Pacifies the Tribes
Father De Smct Wishes to Meet the Tribes of the InteriorFatigue
Compels Him to Return to St. Louis 33$

CHAPTER XXIV
SITTING BULL'S CAMP (1868)

A Commission of Five Generals* is Sent by the Government to Subdue
thf Indians The Commission Aaka Father De Smet to Intervene
Conference with the Indians on the Shores of the Platte Father Do
Smt* Offer to Go to the Hostile Bands En Route for the Hunkpapas*
Camp Father De Smet i$ Received by Sitting Bull The Great
Council Father De Smet's Discourse Black Moon's ReplyThe

x CONTENTS

Banner of Peace The Hunkpapas' Deputies Accompany Father
De Smet to Fort Rice The Complete Success of the Conference
Generals Harney, Sanborn, and Terry Express Their Gratitude and
Appreciation to Father De Smet 347

CHAPTER XXV

FATHER DE SMET's LAST LABORS GRANT'S PEACE POLICY

(1869-1872)

Father De Smet's Eighth Visit to Belgium Two Journey.* Mai It* in the
Autumn Project to Found a Mission on the Upper Missouri Indian
Peace Policy Father De Smet is Given the Right to Appoint Cuthuli,'
Agents Nearly All the Agencies are Given to Prntestant F::eti'.n-
arics Injustice Done to the Catholic Indians Father I)v
Unsuccessful Efforts He Resigns Courageous Fidelity of the
Indians "Give Me the Value of My Soul' 7 Fervor of the Cu-ur
d'Alenes Letter to the Sovereign Pontiff Reply of Pius IX. . . . 359

CHAPTER XXVI

FATHER DE SMET'S LAST VOYAGE TO EUROPE HIS RETREAT

IN ST. LOUIS HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES HIS DBATH

(1872-1873)

Father De Smet's Serious Illness in Brussels- He Think* of Living in
Belgium and Opening a School There for Apostolic WorkHij; JuHjtx*
as a Jesuit His Retreat New Edition of the "Letter** "-!! Ih^ta*
the History of the Origin of the Missouri ProvintvPatluT I H Snarl":*
Intercourse with His Fellow-Jesuits He is 15tfU'c*nu**! by Outsider*--
Dr, Linton The " Linton Album * r The Missionary Truvi'ic 1 Nearly
261,000 Miles Father De Smcl's Spirit of FaithHi:; I^-\v t*i tin*
Religious Life How He Practiced Poverty and OtVilu'c< HU
Piety His Devotion tc> the Blesseti Virgin, St. Anthony, thi* S^nl;; i
Purgatory Ixust Ulnest* Farewell to the Indians Hi:* 2*u*it U-ltvr

to Hi Family Hi Death His Funeral Bishop RyanV* l\4t>;yr^

The Grief of the Indians How Father De Smut's Work Live;', AfU-r
Him ...,..* * * f ^7^

INJDBX 393

ILLUSTRATIONS

P. J, DE SMET, SJ Frontispiece

FATHER DK S&IET, APOSTLE OF THE ROCKIES .... Fadnt & 102

MASS IN THE WILDERNESS PREACHING TO THE Sioux , " 208

FATHER DK SMET RIDING WITH THE INDIANS .... " 274
COUNCIL WITH THE HOSTILE Sioux ON THE YELLOWSTONE

RIVKR " 350

TUB STATUE ERECTED IN HONOR OF FATHER DE SMET AT

TKRMONDB, His BIRTHPLACE .,....,,. " 384

INTRODUCTION

ONE of the brightest glories of the Catholic Church
shines forth in the zeal she has ever displayed for the
propagation of the Gospel. From the time when Christ
said to His Apostles: "Go ye into the whole world and
preach the Gospel to every creature,'* they and their suc-
cessors, the missionaries of every age, have bravely carried
on the sacred task entrusted to them, without any inter-
ruption whatsoever; and they are seen to-day as they have
been seen all along, in every known portion of the earth,
extending the kingdom of Christ, and preparing number-
less souls for the enjoyment of heavenly bliss.

In the United States in particular the Church has nobly
performed this divine mission. She has sent her heroic
sons, bishops and priests, in large numbers to every tribe
of the aboriginal population, baptizing, teaching, and civil-
izing its scattered millions, successful in converting and
sanctifying large portions of them, notwithstanding the
active opposition of false religionists.

Many of the most glowing pages of the great Protestant
historian of the United States, George Bancroft, contain
magnificent descriptions of the devoted labors of our
Catholic missionaries, whose wonderful exploits he narrates
with all the brilliancy and interest which attach to the
writings of Prescott in his records of the Conquest of
Mexico by Hernando Cortez, But every Christian feels,
while reading such works, how far the sacred purpose and
the self-sucrifice of the missionaries among the Indians
surpass in nobility the dauntless courage of the steel-clad
warriors.

It is gratifying to see that the learned world, even out-
side of the Catholic Church, has shown a high appreciation
of the gigantic labors of our missionaries, as is evidenced
by the publication in this country of a most expensive

xiv INTRODUCTION

work, in seventy-three large octavo volumes, styled "The
Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents," edited by Reuben
Gold Thwaites. But, though this valuable collection is
found on the shelves of nearly all the great libraries in the
United States, its volumes are not frequently seen in the
hands of the general reader, Catholic or Protestant. To
enlighten him on the grandeur of our missions and mis-
sionaries, we need briefer and more popular works, which,
while conveying the same information, afford more im-
pressive and interesting reading, and communicate de-
sirable knowledge in the charming language of lighter
literature.

That is the secret of the popularity of a Proscott in his
volumes on Mexico and Peru, and of a Washington Irving
in his lives of Washington and Columbus. The same is an
attractive quality of the life of Father Do Smet , by Father E.
Laveillc, S. J., of which the present volume is a translation.

The French original was received in Belgium and
France with marked enthusiasm. In three months the
first edition was exhausted. The Belgian Jl/V.wnxrr cf site
Sacred Heart said of it: "In the history of the Catholie
apostolate few careers have been so glorious as that of the
Reverend Father DC Smet. We rejoice that the author
has given us a clear, definite history of the man and hi*
work." The French journal La Croix stated: "The life of
Father De Smet reads like a novel, but one so realist u\ .so
thrilling with interest, that you cannot tear yourself away
from it,"

The appreciation of the book by Lc It fan PitHi* culls for u
more extended quotation. It says: "From the nunu 4 nt
that you have cut its first pages you will not lay it asuU*
until you have read the whole volume, Atui all alonu hi*
career you will follow the hero, the apostle of the Rwky
Mountains, with a passionate interest, with an ever
growing admiration, as when Fenimore Cooler, Mavne
Reid, and Daniel Defoe first charmed yimr youthful
imagination. Especially, this reading will strengthen
your faith and your hope; it will show you in its tiiviut'
splendor the civilising influence of religion, trnnrformmg
by a miracle of grace savage natures and raising up $ainU
among them. "

INTRODUCTION xv

But it is not only in Father De Smet 's native country that
this book has been received with warm approbation. Our
own able paper, America, has noticed its appearance in
these terms: "The work seems to have been carefully
and lovingly done. There is a frank enthusiasm and
sympathy in the narrative which carry the reader on with
growing interest; and the citations from letters and docu-
ments are very well chosen out of such a wealth of matter
as lay at the biographer's command. His treatment
seems full and candid, and he has been at pains to gather
matter not only from the published sources, but from un-
published sources and manuscripts as well/'

What has added much to the interest of the story and the
reliability of the events narrated is the fact that the
author had at his disposal a vast amount of material to
select from. There is probably not a single one, among the
numerous holy and able men whose names grace the annals
of the American missions, on whose labors such copious in-
formation exists as on those of the subject of this biog-
raphy. In particular I may mention that most remarkable
work in which two Protestant gentlemen, Messrs. Hiram
Martin Chittcndon, Major, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.,
and Alfred Talbot Richardson, struck by the extraordinary
greatness of Father Do Smet's achievements, have filled
four lar^e volumes with accounts drawn from the original
sources of his life, letters, and extensive travels.

Still the book of Father Laveille is far from being a mere
abridgment of even so rich a collection of original docu-
ments; it is an artistically written biography, making us
familiar with the special traits of his hero's exalted char-
acter and his tenderly human personality, and at the same
time citing authentic documents for every important
statement, as will appear to every reader of this volume.
A scion of that sturdy Belgic race, the records of whose
bravery go back to the Commentaries of Oesar, Father
DC Smet proved himself i'n every way worthy of his noble
ancestry, and by his extraordinary achievements added
further tflory to his country. In recognition of this
the prime minister of Belgium, Charles Rogier, in
1865 conferred on him the cross of a Knight of the
Order of Leopold; and his fellow - citizens, since his

xvi; INTRODUCTION

death, have erected a statue to his honor in his native
town of Termonde.

From his boyhood the future missionary gave signs of
remarkable endowments. His bodily strength and his
youthful daring gained for him among his playmates the
sobriquet of Samson. Among those who had known him
in his prime there was a tradition to the effect that, when
at the age of twenty he was about to embark for America,
and a bosom friend asked him for a memento, he took a
copper coin out of his pocket, and biting it in two, handed
him one half, as a characteristic remembrance of his
herculean chum.

At that time young De Smet and eight companions, all
aspirants to the missionary career, were leaving their
native land without the permission of their parents;
as the Holy Child Jesus had left His Blessed Mother and
St. Joseph to be about His heavenly Father's business.
Their reason was that they had no doubt of their holy
vocation, and they well knew that permission to follow it
would have been refused; their future flight would have
become impossible once their parents had learned of their
design. They felt convinced, besides, that the plan, when
successfully executed, would bring a holy pride to the
members of their pious families,

'Shortly after they had reached the Jesuit novitiate in
Maryland, an earnest request of Mgr. Rosati, then Birfiot*
of Louisiana, arrived there, asking for several Jesuits to
come and work in his extensive Western diorese. Two
Fathers were given him, together with some of the yi'nin#
men who had lately come from Europe, Peter He Srnet
among them, who were to go and establish u new novitiate
in the Par West. They were delighted with the jr<vpivt
of thus coming into the closer vicinity of the Indian tribes,
among which they eagerly desired to spend their stvalous
lives. They traversed the country, mostly on foot, for a
distance of some fifteen hundred miles, til! they came to the
little town of Florissant, near the confluence of the Mis-
sissippi and the Missouri rivers. There in a ample of log
huts they established the new novitiate, a center of future
Jesuit activity for the Western States.

They felled the trees of the forest primeval a welcome

INTRODUCTION xvii

task to the sturdy young Belgians and in a few months
built a solid edifice. But it was done amid the pangs of
poverty and all manner of privations. There, on October
10, 1823, the six novices were allowed to pronounce their
first religious vows, and make their consecration to the
Lord lifelong and irrevocable. From that humble be-
ginning has grown up the Jesuit Province of Missouri,
which counts to-day 397 priests, 306 scholastics, 174 lay
Brothers, a total of 877 members. Very soon a school
was opened for Indian boys, with seven or eight tribes
represented among its pupils. While teaching these, the
young religious pursued their philosophical and theological
studies; and on September 23, 1827, the holy priesthood
was conferred on Peter John De Smet and some of his
companions.

Then his missionary work began in right earnest, to be
continued during forty-three years. The graphic account
of these labors is given in the present volume. ' Here we
read of numerous visits to Indian tribes and the fruitful
work done among them; of the missionary's travels in
unexplored regions of our continent; of his voyages to and
from Europe; of his exertions in favor of the Indians with
the Government and with army officials of the United
States; and of the services he rendered to the adminis-
tration at Washington by aiding it to secure treaties of
peace with the outraged savages. He traversed the
Atlantic Ocean in the course of his missionary labors as
many as nineteen times, and traveled by land, it is said,
over 87,000 leagiies, mostly before railroads had been mul-
tiplied in America, while large portions of the regions he
chiefly frequented were pathless forests or deserts,,. The
little hand at Florissant had received a number of acces-
sions, some very talented men, when, in 1828, they under-
took, at the earnest request of Bishop Rosati, to establish
a college at St. Louis. It opened with forty boys, boarders
and day scholars; and four years later there were 150
students, a large proportion of whom were Protestants.
Father De Smet was treasurer, disciplinarian, and Pro-
fessor of English, The college soon became a University.

The rapid expansion of Jesuit enterprise, which had then
fairly begun, required liberal supplies of money and of new

xviii INTRODUCTION

recruits; and Father De Smet was the man in the hands of
Providence to procure both. This was the purpose of his
frequent voyages to Europe. Each time he secured a
number of candidates for the Society of Jesus, in various
colleges and seminaries of Belgium and Holland, where his
name was held in deepest veneration. One of his asso-
ciates in St. Louis University has commented on these
European travels as follows: "It is true that, in common
with his companions, he lent his robust frame and gigantic
strength to lay the foundation of the Society in the We.st.
But he built up his Province much more efficiently by the
resources and the members that he procured for it on the
other side of the waters. When he pleaded in his native
Flanders on behalf of the Indian missions, or of the growing
Church in the New World, he was certain to meet with a
favorable hearing* The wealthy opened their purses; to
contribute from their abundance, and the fervid youths
in the colleges and seminaries listened with burning check
and throbbing heart, until they had resolved to follow
him and to spend themselves in the service of the Church
among the Indians or among the equally destitute whiter
beyond the sea.

**It was thus that in the beginning we received so lar^o
an influx of those sturdy Flemings, whose panegyric St.
Francis Xavicr himself has left written. Strong and
muscular in body, frank and open in character, ready to
accommodate themselves to the customs of their adopted
country, remarkable for their practical j<xl srn.se awl
gifted with more than ordinary facility for acquiring a
knowledge of English, they formed in those early day*
the thews and sinews, the bone and marrow, of the Mi^t mri
Province.

Further on the same authority adds: "Father De Smet
rendered no less important services; to his Province and to
the whole Society in this country by bringing it prominently
and favorably before the public. His merits were un-
questionably of a superior order, and everywhere inspired
admiration and resect, as> well among Americans u$
among Europeans* With the prestige of a great name, with
a presence that was imposing in his prime and vtwnrtili*
in his declining years, with an artless simplicity united to a

INTRODUCTION xix

dignity of bearing which always maintained the respect
due to the priestly character, with winsome manners and
great conversational powers, he was at home in every circle.
When he wished, he soon commanded the interest and at-
tention of the company and became the center of attrac-
tion. His hearers were won by the charm that he could
throw around the simplest anecdotes of his missionary
tours, and listened for hours at a time, not from mere
deference for his person, but from genuine appreciation of
his recital.

"Yet it was chiefly his extensive correspondence and
other written papers that showed his rare talent for narra-
tion and description. Though most of them seem to have
been intended for private communication, and written on
the spur of the moment, they are deservedly admired by
all judicious critics, and form no inconsiderable addition
to the literature of the day. His published writings treat of
the missions and their wants, the Church and its actual
standing, the zealous lives and edifying deaths of many of
our members; and a great variety of other subjects bearing
upon the interests of religion. Among his manuscripts
are literary Albums, highly appreciated by those who
have ever glanced at them, as well as biographical sketches
of our departed Fathers and Brothers, creditable alike
to the virtue of the deceased and to the assiduous devoted-
ness of the compiler, who spent his leisure moments in col-
lecting materials for the edification of future generations.

"AH his writings are remarkable for an ease and naivet
highly In keeping with his own character. Many of them
display an uncommon amount of information that could
scarcely have been acquired except by personal observation,
and reveal to the unbiased reader the secret activity and
energy of his mind. Much as he himself traveled, his
writings' have traveled still more, and have kindled in
many a generous soul the love of a religious life. Even
boys are fascinated by the romance of his Indian tales,
and feel a sort of unaccountable attraction for the exploits
of a missionary life, not unlike that usually awakened in
them by books of adventure.

''These literary labors, added to his reputation, obtained
for him an immense and influential circle of acquaintances.

xx INTRODUCTION

The learned and the wealthy, the politician and the
statesman, courted his friendship and bowed before him as
before a superior.'*

But the principal charm of the volume here presented to
the reader lies in the graphic sketches of the missionary's
travels and labors among the Indians. Of these it would
be vain to attempt a general outline. Their beauties
sparkle on every page; the whole book must be read to
realize the magnificence of the scenery described, the
grandeur of the achievements performed, the aroma of the
virtues practiced and the noble sentiments exhibited, not
only by the missionary himself and his heroic associates,
but also by many of the red-skinned warriors and their
wives and children, when once their wild natures had been
subdued by the gospel of peace and their souls sanctified
by the waters of baptism.

Father De Smet loved his Indians warmly , not only
because so good a man necessarily pitied their benighted
condition and longed to make them children of God, but
also because ho found in large numbers of them truly noble
characters, as unselfish and sincere and faithful to their
friends as they were brave and fearless in battle. He
found them also hospitable to strangers* and compassionate
to all unfortunates who were not their traditional enemies.
They were fur less savages he used to say, than those
whites who, in trading with them, would cheat them out
of their furs and horses, and give them trifles or fire-
water in exchange.

The Indians, on their part, revered and warmly loved the
Black Robe Father De Smel and any of his ass<vJat ***
in whom they knew they could always confide, He, as
they often expressed it, was the only white man that did
not speak with a forked tongue.

That was the reason why they trusted him us mediator
between them and the eivil and military authorities of the
United States. Thus he succeeded on various txvatwns
in preventing a bloody revenge on their part, when they
had been grievously wronged, and in obtaining from the
supreme Government a proper protection for their rights.

It cnu'IIy tore his heart when, notwithstanding all his
efforts to protect the red men, he saw them, as he often

INTRODUCTION xxi

did, grievously outraged in their dearest interests; as when
whole tribes, evangelized for many years by Catholic
missionaries and partly converted to the Faith, were
arbitrarily handed over by the Government to the care of
some Protestant sects. Another sad disappointment would
come to him and to his fellow-laborers when, as hap-
pened in 1850 at the Flathead mission, the Indians them-
selves would rebel against God, and plunge into terrible
excesses of drunkenness and bloodshed, thus undoing in a
few days all the success achieved by many years of devoted
labors.

So great a work as that carried on by so many mission-
aries of the regular and secular clergy in the United States,
was, of course, exposed to painful reverses, sometimes of an
almost discouraging kind; but the successes obtained im-
mensely surpassed the disappointments. Besides the
countless souls saved and sanctified among the Indians,
large numbers of the former missions have since developed
into flourishing parishes and even dioceses, the whites
gradually replacing the ever-retiring sons of the wilderness.
We may mention here one among many examples.

The Jesuit Fathers had settled the tribe of the Potawa-
tomies at the mission of St. Mary's, Kansas. Instead of
the few scattered log huts of the early settlement, one sees
there now some eight or ten large college buildings of
solid rock and brick; instead of the frame chapel, there is
now a large brick parish church in the town close by,
and there is the elegant stone chapel, the Immaculata, for
the college vStudents. The rough prairie grass has made
room for smooth lawns and bright beds of flowers, set
with evergreen trees and adorned with statuary. One of
the students' dormitories, the Loyola Hall, contains one
hundred and fifty-six private rooms. In these not only are
lodged boys and young men from many States in the
Union during the school year, but during the summer
vacations there assemble in them priests and laymen to
sanctify themselves in the ^Spiritual Exercises p^Strignatiu^
THus the mbdesf Indian mission of former times ]as'"Fe^
come a beacon -light of religion, literature, science, and
civilization generally for all the Middle West of the United

xxii INTRODUCTION

Nor is it forgotten at such places that the seed of this
rich harvest was first sown by Father De Smet and his
brethren. Thus St. Mary's, Kansas, on the fiftieth anni-
versary of its foundation, held a solemn celebration in
commemoration of the event; and, in August, 1915,
the mission among the Sioux Indians of South Dakota
solemnized the seventy-fifth anniversary of the arrival of
Father De Smet in that region by a numerous and enthu-
siastic session of an Indian Congress.

CHARLES CQPPEXS, S. J.

THE LIFE OF
FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

THE LIFE OF
FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

CHAPTER I

CHILDHOOD YOUTH DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA
(l8oi-l82l)

Tormondc The Family " Honest De Smct" The Parish Priest of
Heusden Peter's Birth His Childhood "Samson " His First
Studies Bcirvelde, St. Nicolas, Alost, Mechlin His Vocation Father
Ncrinckx Young De Smet with Eight Companions Leaves Secretly
for America His Brother Charles is Sent to Find Him The Police of
King William Arrival at Georgetown.

HTHE intimate charm of the old Flemish towns has
A been vaunted in story and song. Termonde, al-
though not so interesting as "Bruges-la-Morte/' possesses
a certain picturesqueness of its own and more than one
heroic legend adorns its annals. Situated at the con-
fluence of the Dcnder and the Schelde in the midst of a
plain, Termonde offers exceptional advantages for military
defence. Fortified at the beginning of the fourteenth
century, it has withstood many sieges at the hands of the-
English, French, and Spaniards; in 1667 the brave burghers,
of the place forced an army commanded by Louis XIV
himself to retreat. 1

1 It was at night while the King was celebrating his anticipated victory
that the defenders of the town pierced the Schelde dikes in several places-
and opened the sluices of the Dender. Instantly the surrounding country
and the French camp were inundated. Louis XIV, warned in time by a.
miller, fled, crying, "Cursed city would that T could take you with an
army of ducks! " (Chronicken van Vlacnderen, Vol. iv, p. 737.)

Translator's Note: History repeated itself on Sept. 7, 1914, when the
German Army in its operations against the Allies in Belgium laid siege to-
Termondc with a force of twenty thousand troops. A garrison of six
thousand Belgian soldiers defended the city for six hours and when forced
to evacuate opened the dikes of the Schelde. -The resulting inundation.
obliged the Germans also to abandon the situation.

2 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

To-day Tennonde boasts of a population of ten thousand
inhabitants. It is surrounded by a moat, and this, with
the sinuous canals and their ceaseless and silent traffic
winding through the town, gives it the appearance of a
Venice of the North. One finds considerable commercial
activity there and it is also the scat of an important
garrison, but these aspects of modern life have not stifled
a proper respect for the traditions and monuments of the
past. The imposing cathedral with its fine wainscoting,
its paintings by Flemish masters, its time-honored Virgin;
the town-hall where the municipal council were accustomed
to take the oath of office in defence of liberty; the ancient
belfry whence the joyful notes of the chimes are wafted
over the city; the statues of Our Lady at the street corners;
the vsilcnt monasteries veiled in mist, and the "beguinage"
with its white cells grouped around the little church all
this reminds one of the Flanders of other times, with its
busy life, proud independence, and solid faith.

The Do Smet family was one that gloried in preserving
intact its heritage of old customs and manners, and for
three centuries strength of character and exemplary
Christian living have been transmitted with the name
from father to son. When John De Smet, grandfather of
our missionary, lay dying, he summoned Joost, his youngest
son, and, like the patriarchs of old, gave him a solemn
blessing. That scene left an enduring impression upon the
young man, who in after life would often describe it to his
own children.

Joost De Smet was born December 18, J7,V>. at St.
Amand-lczrPuers in the province of Antwerj >. ( )n January
15, 1761, he married Jeanne Marie Duerinck of Ttrr-
monde, or rather its environs, a fact which doubtless
decided them to live in Tcrmondc. Joost was a ship-
owner and resided in the Rue de I'Escaut,* in a large
house which to-day is still standing. Through his untiring
energy and his genius for business he amassed a fortune
that enabled him to provide his numerous children with

* Rut* dt k t'Kacaut has recently been renamed Pranz-Courtrns.

Translator's Note: It is doubtful if this house is still standing*
the severe tx>mbardmt?nt by German artillery in the
Tcrmtmde on or about Sept, 7, 1914.

CHILDHOOD 3

honorable positions in life. His honesty was so proverbial
that he was known as " honest De Smet." He gave
generously in support of all good works and on two occasions
came to the assistance of relatives who were in financial
difficulties and thus saved the honor of the name.

When in 1792 Dumouriez requested the Belgians to
select provisional representatives from each "commune"
Joost De Smet was one of eighteen citizens elected by the
city of Termonde,

The plans of Dumouriez apparently contemplated that
the provisional representatives were to superintend and
carry out the public policies, and guard the rights of the
people until a constitution was established to replace the
Austrian r6gime, and that the form of government thus
adopted by them was in no wise to be interfered with. 3
We know how the decree of December isth shattered
every hope that was founded upon the moderation and
disinterestedness of Dumouriez 4 ; how, upon his own ad-
mission, this act proved that the Convention had sent an
army only to despoil and tyrannize over the Belgians 6 ;
and with what universal protestation this decree was
received by the entire country. At Termonde Joost
De Smet and his colleagues steadfastly refused to accept a
decision which was a brutal violation of the rights they
had sworn to defend. Nor did they permit the insistence
of the commissioners of the Convention to coerce them, even
when that body held out threats of military execution.
Some weeks later when the people of Termonde, at the
** Assemble Primaire" in the cathedral of Notre Dame,
were called upon to choose between the existing regime
or annexation to the French Republic, the ship-owner
declared himself uncompromisingly on the side of adhering
to the ancient constitution. 6

*Cf. "Proclamation of General Dumouriez to the People of Belgium,"
Nov. 3, 1792.

4 This decree, destined to prepare the way for annexing Belgium to France,
was the work of the Deputy Cambon, After promising the Belgians "peace,
support* fraternity, liberty, and equality/ 1 the Convention reduced them
to a state of dependence and treated them as outlaws. Cf. Nameche,
"Q>urs d'Histoire Nationale," Vol. xxvii, p. 327, * S-

*Scc "Mteoxres du Dumouriez/ 1 London, 1794, Book I, Chaps, iii
and viii

*Cf. "Register of the Resolutions of the Magistrate of the city of Ter-

4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Of Joost's marriage with Jeanne Marie Duerinck seven
children were born. The eldest, Jean Baptiste, became a
priest and had the honor and privilege of confessing his
faith during the French Revolution. Being vicar of Sley-
dingc, near Eecloo, in 1797 he refused to take the civil
oath required by the Directory, and, in consequence, was
condemned to be deported to Guiana. For a time he
succeeded in hiding himself in his parish, but finally was
arrested a year later, was sent to the prison at Ghent, and
thence to the Isle of Re, where he remained for upward
of twelve months, serving as a nurse in the military hos-
pital of the garrison. He was ransomed finally by his
father, 7 and, upon his return to Belgium, assumed with
great ardor the functions of vicar of Sleyclinge. In 1804
he was appointed parish priest at Heusden. near Ghent.,
and here the saintly Abbe remained for four years until
his death, which was one altogether in keeping with the
admirable tenor of his life. On the feast of Corpus Christ i,
June 19, 1808, in his forty-sixth year, while preaching an
eloquent sermon on the love of Jesus Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament, he faltered suddenly and sank to the floor.
His parishioners rushed to his aid, but before they reached
him he had passed away.*

Joost De Smet lost his first wife after thirty years of
married life, and eventually contracted a second marriage
with a certain Marie Jeanne Buy dens, a native of the
village of d'Acren-Baint-Gereon in HainnuU Although
there was great disparity in the ages of this couple, the
second wife being at the time twenty and the husband
fifty-six years of age, the union was not less happy or
prolific than the former one. Marie Buydens beeuaut the
mother of nine children, and Joost De Smet realized,
in fact, the fruits of that paternal benediction whieh

momli/ r published by Joan Brnwknc.'rt in the Annals fA the Ardtt'*<l<yj, ,1!
Society of Termonde, 1900, pp. 200-300*

7 Joont I)c Snwt at the same time runtfoowd J. B. IVvtvftt, wh> w;>i t!i**
<U<m of Luorm'.

M Of. Van liavcght*m " Hot Martclaur.itKxu'k dtr hdp-* ht j'lT^trHjkhri J
ten tiide tier franseht* omwcntdmu,** Ohent, 1875: p ^41), Tht* tm*in'fy
of Father Jean DC 8nu?t is still venerated in his former pari^t. < )n Si'pt. J*>,
1808, a monument Wits erected in the church at HeusJen *r> a
him.

CHILDHOOD 5

liad made so lasting an impression on him, years be-
fore. 9

Among the children of the second marriage mention
must be made of Rosalie, Charles, and Francis, for their
names will occur often during the course of this narrative.
Rosalie De Smet married, in 1830, Charles Van Mossevelde,
a man who was prominent in the business and politics of
Termonde. Charles and Francis became lawyers and both
attained distinction.

Peter, the future apostle of the Rocky Mountains, was
born on January 30, 1801, a few moments before his twin
sister, Colette Aldegonde. The twins were baptized the
same day in the church of Our Lady, by Father Ringoot,
the parish priest. Baptiste Rollier, their brother-in-law,
stood sponsor for both children, the godmother being their
sister-in-law, Colette De Saegher.

Peter's childhood was passed under the vigilant eyes of
his father and Marie Buydens, and to him, who some day

9 The following are the names of Joost De Smet's children by his first wife,
Jeanne Marie Duerinck:

Jean Baptiste, born Jan. 4, 1762, died June 19, 1808, curate of Heusden.

Jeanne Catherine, born Aug. i, 1763, died Sept. 27, 1769.

Joost, born April 12, 1765, died in childhood.

Isabelle Fran^oise, born May 1 6, 1767, died May 21, 1831, wife of

Jean Baptiste Rollier.

Joseph Antoine, born Sept. 11, 1769, died Sept. 18, 1769.
Marie Thercse, born March 8, 1771, died June 22, 1858.
Joost Joseph, born Jan, 13, 1775, died March 31, 1817, married Colette

DC Saegher*

Children by his second wife, Marie Jeanne Buydens:
Joanne Marie, born Nov. 12, 1793, died Dec. 8, 1796.
Colette, born May, 24, 1795, & e d > cc * J 3 I 79^-
Rosalie, born Nov. 7, 1796, died Oct. 26, 1875, married Charles Van

Mossevelde.
Charles, born Sept. 20, 1798, died Nov. 3, 1860, Counselor of the

Court of Appeals of Ghent. Married Marie Li<Snart.
Pierre Jean (Peter), born Jan. 30, 1801, died May 23, 1873. Missionary.
Colette Aldegonde, born Jan. 30, 1801, died Aug. 15, 1807,
Francis, born May 15, 1803, died April 28, 1878. Justice of the Peace

at Ghent. Married Jeanne Catherine Rollier.
Marie Jeanne, born Aug. 20, 1805, died about 1830, Married to

Frederic Jean Lutens.
Jean, born Fob, n, 1807, died Feb. 3, 1813.

The family record states that Joost De Smet had twenty-two children.
Several by his first wife must have died in infancy when an epidemic of
smallpox was raging in Termonde.

6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

was to win an entire people over to Jesus Christ, was
given the privilege of growing to manhood in the atmos-
phere of that ardent faith which is engendered by religious
persecution. "The lessons of piety taught me in child-
hood/' he said in after life, "were the seeds of that de-
sire, which I conceived and afterward executed by God's
grace, to give myself without reserve to His service." 10

The ship-owner possessed in a rare degree those quali-
ties required by the head of a family. His portrait, still
in the possession of his descendant s t gives one the impres-
sion of a singularly energetic man, one perhaps even hard. 11
It seems, in fact, that this authority was exorcised with a
certain rigor; but this severity, inseparable from true
discipline and training, was neither excessive nor arbitrary
if the hand was firm the heart was kind. He was treated
with a sort of religious respect by his household ; his wishes
and his orders were accepted without question, ;md scrupu-
lously obeyed. He whose life we are relating eulogissed
his father in these words: "He seemed to take God for his
model in the training of his children.'* Ia

Less, however, is known about the character of Marie
Buydens. She exercised a certain authority in the house-
hold and directed most successfully the education of her
children. She died at the age of forty-seven, shortly
before the departure for America of Peter, the future
missionary. 13 Her son cherished always the tenderest
memories of his mother and, in his letters, speaks of her
with great veneration.

The boyhood of Peter gave ample promise of the dis-
position which, in the years of his maturity, so ably title*!
him for the r61e he was destined by Provident*" to fill,
"Prom childhood," \vrites his brother Frunris. "he was
endowed with a strong and vigorous constitution: he wa*
hardy, adventurous, and indifferent to danger, and yet
withal of a nature at once affectionate, gentle, and
generous. " u

10 To his sister Rosalie, Florissant, Fi*b ic>, iH^H,

11 Thin portrait is, today, thtt jwrojwrty of M, Paw! DC tfmcl, juJ&t? i4, the
Court of Appals at Ghent.

w Letter to his family, Amsterdam, Aug.

u Utter to Father Deynutxlt, I)w. aj, i*7j.

YOUTH 7

As a boy he had a pronounced taste for games and
athletics. The more violent and dangerous, the more
they seemed to appeal to him. Frequently was he seen
climbing a tree and then rapidly descending by swinging
from one limb to another, but more often could he be
found hazarding a long leap between the numerous boats
that were brought almost to the door of his father's house
by a small arm of the Schelde. On one of these occasions
a false step precipitated him in the water and almost cost
him his life, but the following day found him undismayed
at this favorite pastime. Every morning Peter would relate
to his family the dreams he had during the night, and
these were always about ships, sea voyages, and ship-
wrecks. His father was often wont to exclaim: "God
preserve him ! He will be either a soldier or a great trav-
eler; he will never remain at home."

And finally we come to his school-days, which had their
beginning in a certain free school of Termonde, conducted
by a lay teacher named Delauneau. Whatever aptitude
for learning he might have displayed it was not such as
made him conspicuous, but in agility and physical strength
he was without an equal. His deeds of prowess were
likened to those of the judge of Israel, the conqueror
of the Philistines, and he was accordingly dubbed "Sam-
son 7 * by his companions, a name which was applied to
him in every school that he attended. His sister Rosalie,
who was four years his senior, retained a vivid recollection
of his heroic childhood. Sixty years afterward she wrote:
"he was a sort of Hercules, the terror of his class, high-
spirited, a fighter, and always in trouble/* 15 It must be
said, however, in Peter's defence, that when he fought, it
was usually either to uphold the honor of his side or else
assist some fellow-student too weak to defend himself.

The course of events so shaped themselves in time that
he was given an opportunity, on a certain occasion, to
employ his splendid strength in the service of religion. It
happened that during a kermess a traveling show erected
booths in front of the -church, and at the hour for High
Mass proceeded to parade about in grotesque fashion ac-

s * Related by M. Leon Van Mosscvelde in a letter to Father Dey-
fioodt, Dee. I, 1873.

8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

>companied by the music of trombones. However amusing
the spectacle, the good people of Termonde preferred to
assist at Mass, and the mountebanks, angered by this
seeming indifference, sought to annoy the congregation
during the entire time of the service by making distracting
noises on their brass instruments. On coming out of
church, Peter called several comrades to hLs side and led
an attack upon the booths. At once the parade was dis-
organized and the music ceased braying. The players were
disconcerted by this sudden attack, and, failing to gather
-any assurance from the attitude of the bystanders, fled
without offering further resistance. They removed their
paraphernalia under cover of darkness.

Encouraged by this success, young De Smet dreamed of
more brilliant conquests. The Napoleonic wars were in
progress at this time and Peter listened with avidity to
the tales recounted by the veterans who had marched
through Europe with the conquering army. The glory of
it all haunted the boy's mind. To defend a barricade or
engage in a skirmish with the young element of the neigh-
borhood was too tame an affair; henceforth nothing short
of major tactics for him. In imagination he had the
Austrians and Russians encamped in the near-by villages
about Termonde and the young men of these communities
were to impersonate the hostile forces.

It later years, when an old missionary; he loved to
recount one of these expeditions in which his star fur an
instant waned. It was on a fine morning about, the year
i Hi 2 or 1813, when, having assembled the si'hooMoys
of several neighborhoods, he announced thai thty would
attack the *' Russians" occupying the village of (irem-
bergon. The proposal was enthusiastically received, and
the "army" of about a hundred would-be \varriors nutrched
gayly forth. The "Russians/* however, doubt U'^s upon
the information of their spies, were in a state of prepared-
ness and rushed upon the invaders. An encounter took
place and after a passage at amis amid sonic hillock-; erf
sand, the youths of Grcmbergcn fell back upon their
village hotly pursued by the "French/ 1 who forced the
issue a second time, with greater fury, Jn the square near
the church. That it happened to be Sunday was an

YOUTH 9

unfortunate circumstance, but that the hour of battle
happened to coincide with the hour of Mass was still
more so. Hearing the enraged cries of the combatants,
and seeing their fellow-townsmen vanquished and seeking
asylum in the church, the peasant congregation sallied
forth, armed with pitchforks and sticks, and threw them-
selves into the m&lee. This turned the tide of victory and
forced " General" De Smet to lead his tattered and bruised
forces in retreat.

Rumors of this expedition, doubtless noticed on account
of its early morning start, came to the ears of Joost De
Smet, who at once set out in search of his son. As he was
leaving the outskirts of Termonde Peter was entering, his
"army" in complete rout. The ship-builder, wishing to
add another cruel lesson to that of defeat, deprived the
youthful general of his pocket-money for ten days, which
meant, in other words, confinement to the house. Seclu-
sion, however, is sometimes a bad counselor. One day,
during this confinement, while his mother was engaged
in sewing, Peter cleverly got possession of her scissors and
cut out all the pockets of his coat and then took care to
leave it where she could see what he had done. Marie
Buy dens reported this to her husband, who, in turn, sum-
moned his culprit son and with severity demanded, "What
is the reason that you cut out your pockets?" to which the
youth responded, "What need have I for pockets since I
have nothing to put in them?"

Although on occasions Peter was swayed by the impulses
of his ardent nature he gave indications, day by day, that
his was also a generous nature and one imbued with filial
devotion. He had now reached his twelfth year and was
preparing for his first communion. The time was at
hand when the development of his rare qualities of heart
must be rounded out and fixed by a careful cultivation of
his intellect.

At Beirvelde, near Ghent, there was a large school which
enjoyed the patronage of the best families. It was to this
institution that Joost De Smet decided to send his son
for the twofold purpose of completing his studies and
experiencing the benefits of discipline. Accordingly, about
'2

io THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

the year 1814, Peter left the paternal roof, thereafter to
return only for a few weeks' vacation every year. His life
at boarding-school contrasted greatly with the life he had
been accustomed to lead at home, but there was little
question as to his powers of adaptability when recreation
hours came around. At these times he was entirely in his
element and was the life and soul of every game. Here,
as formerly, his unusual physical strength commanded for
him the respect of his companions, although he was among
the very youngest of the school. On the occasion of
holidays, instead of taking his place in the diligence with
the rest of his comrades bound for Termonde, Peter, staff
in hand, would make the journey on foot, arriving at his
father's house by nightfall.

After a year or two passed at Beirvekle he entered the
Preparatory Seminary of St. Nicolas, where ho began his
Latin studies, but did not long remain here, for in iSiS
we find him at the college of Alost. 16 We wonder at the
frequent changes from one school to another and we find
a partial answer in a certain letter written by his brother
Francis: "He could not remain very long any whore,'* 17
Peter was of a roving disposition, a fact to which the
principal events of his life attest, and his letters toll us
that of St. Nicolas he retained the most pk<asunt recol-
lections. In later years he often returned there and was
always received with open arms and accorded enthusiastic
interest on behalf of his missionary work.

His entry into the student life at AIosl was marked by
an episode that won for him at once a firm pl:uv in tint
respect of the student body. The exist* we *>f hitter
animosity between the Flemish and Walloon* boys led
to frequent and violent quarrels. The first time that
young DC Smet appeared at recreation he was accost tul in
a rude and insulting manner by a Walloon several yvura

w The college of Most, opened by the Jesuit** in i6*<, wo.-; at thai tit* * in-
ducted by the priests of the diocese of Ghent, ('attun Van Cro;hn:nnh' r
who later founded the Jasophites, am! the iUuSirs of Mary, Wit % ; thru in
charge. The Jesuits did nut return to Most until 8jji.

17 Letter to Father Deynoodt, Dec. ss> 187,^

* Translator's Note: The Walloons tint a inixrd Italic, Tt",rt"tts.', O J'i:
people in southeastern Belgium and parts adjacent. "Tin- \Vaiti>*tt'} iir<s
descended from the ancient Gallio Belgi, with an admixture *>( Roman
element*." (ISneye. Brit., nth Ed,)

YOUTH ii

older and much bigger than himself. In a flash Peter had
the aggressor down, and, doubling him up, carried him
bodily to a pool of water near by. The bully shouted
and kicked, but "Samson" held him as with muscles of
steel, nor did he let go until he had immersed him two
or three times in the water, to the great amusement of
the spectators.

As a scholar, however, our hero was not so conspicuous;
his standing as such was at all times creditable, but not
unusually so, although he seems to have distinguished him-
self in mathematics.

From the college at Alost Peter went to the Preparatory
Seminary at Mechlin. 18 There, it seems, his intellect was
judged more solid than brilliant. His former companions
all agree that he was gifted with sound judgment and
that it was evident he would one day be a man of action.
If the future missionary lacked a passion for study it would
appear that, in his own way, he was a conscientious worker,
for one of his classmates, in alluding to that period of
Peter's life, said, "he was always writing/' 19

At recreation-time Peter was in his true element, first
in every foot-race, the most expert at ball and other games.
For sheer display of strength he would sometimes extend
his arms, setting his muscles rigid, and the united efforts
of his playmates could not bend them. Dr. Cranincx,
afterward professor at the University of Louvain, recalled
with pleasure how many were the times that he had seen
Peter lifted up and carried on the shoulders of his com-
rades amidst enthusiastic applause. The kind heart,
the cheerful disposition, and the straightforwardness which
had made Peter De Smet so well liked at Alost and at
St. Nicolas won for him an equal popularity at the
seminary at Mechlin. He formed friendships there which

18 The Preparatory Seminary or the archiepiscopal college of Mechlin was
at that time in the Rue St. Jean, in the house now occupied * by the Sisters
of Mary. The Superior, Father Verlooy, a former Oratorian, was a man
of wide experience and eminent virtue. His imposing personality com-
manded the respect of his pupils, and so great was his eloquence as a preacher
that the powerful impressions created by his Sunday sermons were remem-
bered half a century lator,

* Translator's Note: It is doubtful whether a vestige of this building has
been left standing after the devastating operations of the army of invasion.

Abb do Viron.

12 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

neither time nor distance could efface, and of these the
most notable were with Dr. Cranincx and Monseigneur
De Ram, who later became rector of the University of
Louvain.*

A natural question comes up here as to what vocation
Peter was destined to follow. The assertion has been
made by one of his comrades 20 that the future missionary
was at this time contemplating the life of a Trappist
monk, but it seems unlikely that such was the case when
we consider his adventurous spirit and how ill adapted it
would have been to the limitations and restraints of mon-
astic life. At all events, he soon began to entertain other
designs, and at twenty years of age, in his second year at
Mechlin, he encountered in Father Nerinckx, a missionary
from Kentucky, the influence which was to decide his
career.

Charles Nerinckx was born October 2, 1761, in the
village of Hcrffclingen in Brabant. His ordination took
place in 1785, after which he was appointed vicar of the
cathedral of Mechlin, and later curate of Everberg-
Meerbeke near Louvain. His work in this parish was
attended with splendid success, but suffered n serious
interruption when the Revolutionary authorities issuetl a
warrant for his arrest. With this hanging over his head
he was forced to leave his parish, seeking refuge in the
hospital of Termonde, and there taking up the duties of the
former chaplain, who had just been dcportod to t!u* 1:<U* of
R6. This post he continued to hold for several years, amid
constant danger of being discovered by agents of the
Republic. Caution obliged him to say Mass at two oYJnek
in the morning, after which he would spend the rest of the
day in hiding. His enforced seclusion and the eonsemu nt
leisure gave him opportunities for literary work which he
improved by writing several treatises upon Theolo^y, *Sa-
crcd History, and Canon Law, When circum*: anr,s \vr
mitted, he would steal out of his hiding- place to visit the?

* Translator's Note: Tht> University of Louvain wai-t prartically {^U'iynl
by fire and demolition wht'n the city <f Louvain w;is t*;i;>tmvS ii*l jy^iwl
by the Germans in their march toward Paris, Auj;, jf* ( 1914*

M Abl^ Jongmans,

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 13

sick and the prisoners of war held in Termonde, and at
times he even found a way of secretly entering Everberg,
where he brought religious encouragement to his aban-
doned parishioners.

This circumscribed missionary work, however, far from
satisfied his ardent nature, and in 1804 he left Belgium and
sought a vaster field of action in the United States. After
a terrible crossing in a ship which he afterward described
as "a floating hell," Father Nerinckx arrived in Balti-
more. Bishop Carroll, at that time the only Catholic
Bishop in America, received the missionary most cor-
dially, accepted his offer of service, and sent him to join
Father Badin, the priest who a few years previously
had founded the Kentucky Mission. The priests of this
mission had for the theater of their activities a territory
larger than the whole of France, and here for twenty years
Father Nerinckx labored with indefatigable zeal, conse-
crating his health, strength, and energy to the work of
evangelization. He traversed Kentucky from one end to
the other; at times in depths of winter through ice and
snow; at times again through the torrid heats of summer.
To ford a river or to swim it were alike to him, and he would
oftentimes traverse twenty-five or thirty miles on horse-
back to say Mass, fasting from food till three or four o'clock
in the afternoon. With his own hands he built a house
for himself at a cost of $6.30. His was a rude apostolate,
filled with terrifying hardships. As the number of Chris-
tians increased he built churches in proportion, until ten
had been erected, as well as a number of chapels. He
founded the congregation of the Sisters of Loretto, a
congregation which soon established religious institutions
in all parts of the continent, for the purpose of instruct-
ing children in their religion and also for taking care of
orphans.

In 1808 the Bishopric of the See of New Orleans was
offered to Father Nerinckx:, but he declined the honor,
saying, "Bonitatem et disciplinam et scientiam docendus,
docere non valeo." 21 Bishop Spalding has said of him,
"He was a learned, humble priest, content to hide his

" I have need myself to acquire virtue, wisdom, and knowledge, and am
not capable of teaching it to others/*

I 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

knowledge and to bury himself among men who did not
know even the meaning of the word * learning." 722

Charles Nerinckx returned to Belgium in 1817 to raise
funds and to procure active assistants. He made a second
visit to his native land in 1821 for the same purpose.
Upon the occasion of the latter he remarked: "How can
it be that Napoleon found millions of men ready to sacri-
fice their lives to ravage a nation and aid him to conquer
the world, while I cannot find a handful of devoted men to
save an entire people and extend the reign of God?"
Before departing from America in 1817 Father Xerinckx
stopped at Georgetown, where Father Anthony Kohlmann,
then Superior of the Maryland Province, asked him to
bring back a large reinforcement of Belgian novices. This
he bent himself to with great ardor, for his sympathies lay
very strongly with the vSociety of Jesus. Five young men
returned with him to enter the novitiate.

His second voyage was even more successful in this
respect, as will be seen. After his arrival in Belgium the
missionary spent several days at Mechlin, where he had
many friends. The seminarists received him warmly, and
listened with lively interest to all he told them about
the immense country, where, for lack of priests, thousands
of Catholics were forgetting God and abandoning their
religion. He told them particularly about Kentucky and
the flourishing Christian communities he had fount led
there; described the state of ignorance in whk'h the
Western Indian tribes were languishing; and cniu*huli*d
by speaking of the Society of Jesus, that had just Uvn re-
established in America by Pius VII. This StK'H'ty hud
important houses in the United States, when* young
novices received solid religious and ascetic training, and
were wisely directed and fitted for every kind of apostolic
work,

These discourses created a profound impnwion, and
during his visit a goodly number of seminarists, including
Peter De Smet, offered to accompany Father NYrinebx
back to America. He, however* counseled them not to
be precipitate. It was his wish that they take time for

**Sce "The Life of Rev. Charles Nerinckx,'* hy Rt, Rtv, Camilla' 1 .
Cincinnati,

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 15

sober reflection, but notwithstanding this it seems that
their choice was instantly and definitely taken. 23 In a
letter young De Smet wrote his father before embarking
he spoke of his project as conceived long before. 24 The
future proved that the youthful apostles were not obeying
a passing impulse.

Father Nerinckx, after a thorough examination of all
the applicants,, selected nine to return with him to Amer-
ica. From the Preparatory Seminary only two were
chosen, and these were Peter De Smet and Joost Van
Assche, of St. Amand-lez-Puers. Of the applicants from
the college but five were taken: Felix Verreydt, of Diest;
Francis De Maillet, of Brussels; John Smedts, of Rotselaer;
John Anthony Elet, of St. Amand-lez-Puers; and Van
Horzig, of Hoogstraeten. A priest, Father Veulemans, and
a young professor of the Preparatory Seminary, Peter
Verhaegen, of Haeght, completed the personnel of the band.

The enterprise was not lacking in difficulties. The first
one encountered was the opposition of the parents and
families of the young missionaries. They seemed unable
to reconcile themselves to the irrevocable separation the
prospect of loss being too sudden and immediate to be
softened by sober reflection.

'After due consideration the young men decided to leave
Belgium without saying good -by to their families a
heroic resolution which to us hardly seems compatible
with true filial devotion. It must be borne in mind, how-
ever, that they were driven by cogent reasons, a fact in-
dicated by the words of Peter De Smet in a subsequent
letter: "To have asked the consent of our parents would
have been to court a certain and absolute refusal." 25
Thus, rather than jeopardize a well-defined vocation it
appeared advisable to limit the leave-taking to farewell
letters written before sailing. Whatever attitude this

43 One of these young men, Joost Van Assche, had offered himself to
Father Nerinckx in 1817. He was refused then on account of his age, but
not only did he hold to his intention, but he communicated his desire to be a
missionary to John Blct, and their example influenced others* Cf. the St.
Lauis Times, June 27, 1877. Chittendcn-Richardson: "Father De Smet's
Life and Travels," p. xi*

* Letter written from Texcl Island, Aug. 7, 1821.

* From a letter of Father De Smet, written toward the end of his life.

1 6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

course of action would seem to indicate, it is beyond doubt
that all of the young men were fully aware of the great
sacrifice that was being imposed upon their parents. That
Peter De Smet had a poignant realization of this we know
from his relatives, who tell us that to the end of his days
the memory of his departure remained like an open wound.
But, on the other hand, we are also told that he was
never beset with any misgivings, because he always felt
that he had obeyed an imperative call of duty.

All preparations were carried on with great secrecy.
Dr. Cranincx tells us how he became the unwitting ac-
complice of Peter De Smet, who at that time occupied
the bed next to his in the seminar}" dormitory. Young
De Smet had packed the greater part of his books and
clothing when he discovered that his trunk would not
hold everything. His eye then fell upon his friend's
trunk "Cranincx," said he, "would you lend me your
trunk to send away some books? "Willingly/* replied
the doctor; whereupon Peter, taking him at his word,
piled in the rest of his belongings and sent them oil to the
ship.

After leaving the seminary the young men remained
hidden for a time in a neighboring house'-* whence they
departed to join Father Ncrinckx in Amsterdam, They
could not call on their families for funds, and being able
to realize but small sums from the sale of what few and
insignificant trifles they possessed, some of them sought,
the assistance of friends to defray traveling expenses.
Others of the party, however, preferred to seek hrlp from
strangers, and to this end relied upon the grnewsity of
such as they could interest along tin* way through Holland.
Among their benefactors in this cause mention must he
made of Father Verlooy, Superior of the Preparatory
Seminary, and Mr. Pierre De Nef, of Turnhout, a personal
friend of Father Nerinekx and a well-known patron of
foreign missions.

Before leaving Belgium Peter De Smel returned to
St. Nicolas to take leave of his old teachers and also

** This house was situated at llut corner uf tlu* Rw? 8$. Jk'Ein mhi thi- Rt
dt*s Varhcs. ft was a tobacco-shop, and the sign aUw the i!m>r
Het Schip.

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 17

his friend and counselor, Father Van Boxelaere, then ,a
professor at the Preparatory Seminary. A few days later,
at Mechlin, he joined John Baptiste Smedts, John Anthony
Elet, and Joost Van Assche, who were to proceed with him
to Amsterdam. They sailed July 24, 1821, and were ac-
companied as far as Contich by Monseigneur De Ram, an
intimate friend of Peter's. When the moment of final
separation arrived Monseigneur De Ram asked young
De Smet to give him some souvenir or token of remem-
brance, and Peter, taking from his pocket a penny, bent it
in two with his teeth and gave it to his friend; then the-
vessel started for Antwerp.

Having surmounted the difficulty of parental opposition,
the young missionaries were very soon brought face to face
with an obstacle of a different character. Belgium was"
at that period a part of the kingdom of the Low Coun-
tries and "the hostility of Protestant Holland toward
Catholics, and especially foreign missionaries, manifested
itself in various ways; sometimes through measures;
taken against them by the government and sometimes
by the fanatical antagonism of the favorites of King
William. . . . Among other formalities the law required all
travelers to show their passports upon entering a town.
Those who could not do so were detained in prison until
they could be examined and state the object of their
journey." 27

The four fugitives, however, who had set out from
Mechlin were successful in evading the watchful eye of the
police. A friend from Antwerp, Father John Buelens,
who was in the secret of their departure, procured for
them the necessary money for the voyage without their
having to again enter a town. But once in Holland, even
greater prudence had to be exercised. Before arriving at
any town the young men would leave the diligence and,
armed with walking-sticks, mingle with the crowd on foot.
This ruse carried out with assurance passed them through
the gates without attracting the attention of the author-
ities* Peter De Smet and his companions reached Amster-
dam on July 26th, where Father Nerinckx had arranged
** Prom Father Do Smet's manuscripts.

i8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE S3MET, SJ.

accommodations for them. Here also their meager funds
for the voyage were substantially added to through the
generosity of certain Catholic families interested in
American missions. 2S

Before long the nine young men were assembled at their
meeting-place and in a few days were to sot sail. The
chance of their being detected seemed very slight in this
large city where so many strangers foregathered amid
much coming and going, and Peter was much huoyecl up
by the propitious beginning and the nearness of departure,
but an unlooked-for incident which befell him almost dis-
organized his plans as well as those of his companions.
Despite all precautions taken by the fugitives, news of
their project had spread abroad in Belgium and their
respective families were at their wits' end for some means
to stay their departure.

Joost De Smet, we know, was capable of a sacrifice, and
in other circumstances might have considered it an honor
to pledge to God the flower of his offspring, but being
aware of his son's impulsive and somewhat fanciful dis-
position, and making due allowance for lofty motives, he
could not but question the prudence of his decision. He
felt that the boy had acted precipitately. The voyage ap-
peared to him merely the beginning of an advent unms
career that would end badly. There swmed lm: OTIC
proper course open to him and he accordingly di^pntrheJI
his son Charles, armed with parental authority and in-
structions to bring back the runaway by fanr if tuvissnry*
Charles duly arrived in Amsterdam, went to the City Hall
for information as to his brother's whereabout and after
vain enquiries proceeded forth upon a random search.
Paring up one street and down another* internetting a
stranger or a native from time to time, he seomnl to make
no headway and then the mueh-to-be-desiret! result vime
to pass. Suddenly and without warning while iTussing a
bridge he came face to face with Peter. The latter, in no
wise disconcerted, was minded to settle the whole question
upon the spotbut Charles did not consider the jilwe
propitious for an interview and prevailed u{>on Peter to

** Father De Smet was particularly rau?fl till hb life tu the K
Van Has, Van Damme, ami Koetlijk families*

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 19

conduct him to the rendezvous of the conspirators nothing
more or less than a garret which he was sharing with his
three companions.

Charles lost no time in setting forth the object of his
mission, but, knowing his brother's character too well to
try to intimidate him, he made an appeal to the kindness
of his heart. He described to Peter the anguish into
which their loved ones at home had been plunged by the
prospect of his departure. He pictured the home bereft
of its mother; their lonely father in his eighty-fifth year,
whom the shock of separation would probably hasten to
his end. How could he have the heart to leave without
seeing them all once more? Were Peter truly heeding
God's call to a foreign mission no one would oppose his
real vocation. Was it not possible to wait a few years
and mature his plans, comfort his father's declining years
and remain at home until he had closed his eyes in death?
Peter listened to his brother's appeal without once in-
terrupting. He was deeply moved while hearing of the
grief of his family, but so inflexible was his resolution that
he not only never wavered, but vouchsafed a reply so
eloquent with sound reason and earnestness that Charles,
instead of opposing him, actually ended by placing a
large sum of money at his disposal.

Amsterdam now could no longer shelter them in com-
plete security, so the fugitives forsook their garret to go
aboard the ship which was to carry them a portion of the
way, the captain being already won over to their cause.
July 3ist saw them on their way down the Zuider Zee,
but before the anchor was weighed Peter, as a last proof
of his filial devotion and as a consolation to his bereaved
family, addressed a farewell epistle to his father. "It
seems needless to assure you of the tender love I bear you,"
he wrote. "Believe me, I love you deeply, although the
sorrow I am about to cause you may lead you to doubt my
affection. The religion to which you are so sincerely
attached will dry your tears and fill your heart with joy.
How is it possible that you are inconsolable because one
of your children is giving himself to God's service and
putting into practice the lessons you have taught? ... It
would have been my greatest happiness to spend this short

20 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

life with you, but God calls me and I must obey. Every
day we say to God, 'Thy will be done on earth' well
to-day our hearts must echo these words which our lips
pronounce. May the submission of our will to God's
designs render us capable of every sacrifice!" After
again protesting the deep affection he bore him whom he
called ''the best of fathers" he reassured his family in the
following words: "We are embarking with confidence, en-
couraged by the captain's kindness, the sturdint\ss of the ship,
which is quite new, and yet chiefly by our trust and faith
in the providence of Him who never abandons His own/'
On the evening of August 2d the ship reached Texel
Island. The young missionaries were hospitably received
into a Catholic household recommended to them by their
friends in Amsterdam. Here Father Nerinckx joined
them, as he had come by a different route to avoid sus-
picion. He even lodged under a different roof on account
of the disquieting rumors that the police were in pursuit
under orders to arrest and prevent them from continuing
the voyage. Twelve days of irksome suspense were
passed here awaiting the arrival of the ship that was to
finally take the little party to America, and yet Peter
De Smet's letters show us that he at least felt no appre-
hension. "God be praised!*' he writes to his father, "we
have all arrived at Texel in good health after making a
passage down the Zuicler Zee, and we now hope to land
safely at Philadelphia. I wish I could describe to you how
pleasant the voyage has been. At night the roaring of
the waves as they splashed on the decks and the clattering;
of the rigging reminded one of the chimes at TVrmonde.
Nothing, however, prevents me from sleeping like a dor*
mouse, nor yet from singing in the morning like a young
nightingale. But at times I weep, though God the
Supreme Comforter dries my tears by permitting me a
glimpse of the great reward. *T have called you/ Ho says,
'who can resist? 1 It was a bitter trial that I felt deterred
from telling you of my departure and my future plans,
and to be obliged to leave without your blessing has
caused me cruel suffering. I WAS convinced that you
would never consent to my departure, and for this reason
and upon the advice of a wise and disinterested man, I

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 21

decided to leave without seeing you. Conquer your sorrow,
my dear father, and say to yourself the All-Powerful has
decided this affair. . . . The voyage to Philadelphia is no
more hazardous than a trip to Sac-a-Houblon to play a
game of cards. We cross the ocean with the same feeling
of security that the children of Israel experienced during
their passage through the Red Sea."

The half -grave tone of this letter might give the impres-
sion that Peter De Smet never realized how great a sacri-
fice he imposed upon his family. In reality he was haunted
by the knowledge. Thinking that their parish priest
could better than himself persuade his father to consent
to his departure, he wrote a touching letter in Latin,
"begging him to visit and console his father. The separa-
tion caused Peter intense suffering. He wrote to Father
Van Boxelaere on August loth, saying: "Charles tried to
prevent our departure, but reason and religion soon won
him over to our side. He wept bitter tears and I wept
with him; for what could be more heartrending than to
leave the old father I love tenderly, sisters and brothers
who are dear to me, friends and the good things of life?
But God calls me and I must obey." He continues in
this grave strain, which supposes a knowledge of life rare
at his age: "O Vanity of vanities! How strong are the
ties of earthly things? Should it be God's will that I
return to Europe, I wonder if those who are now so sad-
dened by my departure will greet me with joy? Man
changes and so easily forms new ties and habits and we
occupy such a small place even in the hearts of our friends !"

These letters are the beginning of a correspondence that
lasted fifty years, and shows not the least trace of indif-
ference or diminished affection for his family. Could
Joost De Smet have known through these letters the
sentiments that animated his son at that time, he would
have understood how he was obeying an impulse that had
little to do with love of adventure. But unfortunately
these letters never reached their destination 29 and not
even the account given by Charles of his interview with

** These letters, written in Flemish, were seven in number. They had been
jgivtm to Father Buelens of Antwerp, and only after his death in 1868 were
they by chance found among his papers.

22 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Peter could mitigate the bitterness of the old ship-builder.
It required actual results in missionary work and the
first letters he received from America to finally convince
him that his son had obej^ed a divine call.

The vessel so anxiously awaited at Texel arrived at
length. She was an American brig called the Columbia.
Dutch law required that officials should visit every ship
and examine all passports, a provision that somewhat com-
plicated the embarkation of our young men. Fortunately
for them, some Amsterdam friends who accompanied
them succeeded in securing the cooperation of the captain,
and the arrangements were made whereby the missionaries
were not to go aboard in the regular way, but were to be
picked up from a fishing-boat after the ship had put to sea.
The Columbia weighed anchor at night and, accordingly,
a short distance out hove to and took the fugitives aboard,
to their unfeigned joy and relief. Henceforth there was
nothing to fear, and they could send from a distance their
felicitations to the police of King William. The day of
their sailing was August i5th, the feast of the Assumption.
The date was of good omen, and to Peter De Snu*t it par-
took of a privilege that he was enabled to be&in his career
under the protection of the Queen of heaven.

The Columbia encountered heavy weather in the North
Sea and our missionary tells us that he, like the majority
of the passengers, "paid tribute to inexorable Neptune,"
but on the whole the crossing was not altogether had.
The nine young men were given over to visions of them-
selves in the performance of their apostolic work and the
accomplishment of great things in the future. Father
Nerinckx kept their zeal and enthusiasm around with
anticipation of a wonderful harvest of souls, This was* for
the embryo missionaries, the beginning of their apprentice-
ship to the ministry, and the older missionary did not fail
to strengthen his vivid recitals of life and color with
lessons drawn from his experience and the inspiring
example of his own upright life. Austerity was the domi-
nant note in his r6gime, but it neither alarmed the ardent
neophytes nor abated their zeal.

When the Columbia finally entered the Delaware River

DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA 23

and went to her moorings at Philadelphia she had been
forty-two days out from Texel Island. The young Bel-
gians were totally unprepared for the wonders that were
revealed in their first glimpse of the Quaker City. They
had imagined America to be a country devoid of any save
the most rudimentary marks of civilization, and instead
they beheld a city which in area and population, in point
of architecture, public buildings, and the number of
churches, surpassed many of the cities of Europe. It
took no great lapse of time, however, to teach them that
their view of Philadelphia comprehended but a very small
part of America and at the same time a very large portion
of its civilization. If that part of the United States on
the Atlantic seaboard were a land of "the strenuous life,"
there lay, indeed, beyond the Alleghany Mountains an
immense territory the inhabitants of which were living "in
darkness and the shadow of death."

From Philadelphia the missionaries went to Baltimore,
where Archbishop MarSchal received them most cordially.
Here Father Nerinckx left the little band and. took up once
more his work in Kentucky. "We parted from him,"
wrote Peter De Smet, "filled with veneration and esteem
for his character both as a priest and as a man. The wise
counsels he never tired of giving us, and the example of
his virtue which we were privileged to behold during a
journey of forty-two days, will ever remain fresh in the
memories of his young companions," 30

Father Veulemans and young Van Horzig, who had
come over to be associated with the missions directed by the
secular clergy, remained in Baltimore and placed themselves
at the service of the Archbishop. 31 The others, seven
in number, tarried but one day and then proceeded to
Georgetown, where they presented themselves to Father
Kohlmann, the Superior of the Jesuits in the United States.
This priest was so impressed with the solidity of the vocations
which could overcome obstacles and face such trials, that
he received the young men with open arms and afterward
sent them to Whitemarsh to enter upon their novitiates.

* Selected Letters, sd series, p, 250.

31 Father Van Horzig died in Washington, D, C., after having labored zeal-
ously for many years as parish priest of St. Peter's.

CHAPTER II

THE NOVITIATE ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI
(1821-1823)

'The Jesuits in New France 'and Maryland Bishop Carroll Whitemar>h
Father Van Quickonborne Peter De Smet at the Novitiate Oc-
parture for Missouri "A Floating Monastery" FIoris.<unt Madam
Duchcsnc "Samson," Architect and Carpenter First Vow,-:,

HTHE American Missions, from their very beginning,
* attracted great numbers from the Society of Jesus.
Jesuits were the early explorers of New Prance rind jjcive
to it its first martyrs. "The history of their labors/*
says a Protestant writer, "is connected with the origin
of every celebrated town in the annals of French America:
not a cape was turned, nor a river entered, hut a Jesuit
led the way.*' 1 While Fathers Joguos, do Brvbcuf, ant I
JLalemant shed their blood upon the shores of the St.
Lawrence, Father Marquctte in a bark canoe explored
the course of the Mississippi as far as the Arkan&i.**. Like
their confreres of France, the English Jesuits, who in 1634
came to Maryland with Lord Baltimore, were n*>i only
missionaries of a heroic type, hut were po^e^ed of a
genius for civilizing. **\Vc have not conic to make war,'*
said Fathers White and Althnm to the Indians* *'lwt to
teach you the law of grace and love, antl to live wilh you
as brothers." They spread the light of Christianity from
the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. At their recital
of the sufferings of Christ, the Abenaki, the Iroquois, the
Hurons, the Illinois, and the Natchez put aside their feme-
tty, buried the tomahawk, and felled the most beautiful
trees of the forest to build ' ' prayer lodges. " The day came
when fanaticism undertook to undo the work of the mis-

1 Bancroft's " History of the United 8mtv*, n B^t^n, 1853, Vnl. si, j.

THE NOVITIATE 25

sionaries. The Catholics of Maryland saw their goods,
their laws, their churches, their schools, and their children
taken from them. The Indian congregations were slaugh-
tered the Jesuits themselves, through a brief of Clement
XIV, were dispersed.

In 1776 the War of Independence liberated the American
Colonies from England's yoke of oppression. Soon after
the war Washington addressed these words to the Catho-
lics of the Original States of the Union: "... may the
members of your society in America, animated alone by
the pure spirit of Christianity, and still conducting them-
selves as faithful subjects of our Government, enjoy every
temporal and spiritual felicity/ 12 An era of peace was
then inaugurated, and Catholics, profiting by the change,
petitioned the Pope to make Baltimore an episcopal see.

On August 15, 1790, in the private chapel of an English
manor house, John Carroll, the newly - elected Bishop,
was consecrated. He belonged to the Society of Jesus,
and was a native of Maryland, where his family had
fought valiantly for liberty. The Bishop of the United
States at that time presided over a diocese fifteen hundred
leagues long by eight hundred leagues wide, containing a
population of forty thousand Catholics and from three
to four million Protestants. His clergy numbered some
thirty, several of whom had belonged, like himself, to the
Society of Jesus.

It was not long ere the Revolution and religious persecu-
tion in France and Belgium caused the immigration to
America of many missionaries well qualified for hardships,
and whose fidelity to duty was paramount to a love of the
fatherland. The Sulpicians undertook the establishment
and direction of a large seminary, and among these priests
were eminent men, of whom several became Bishops.
Bishop Carroll, however, was longing to see the Jesuits
re-established in his diocese, and on May 25, 1803, he wrote
to Father Gruber, Superior of the Jesuits in Russia:
"From the letters of many of our faithful we have learned
with joy that, by a miracle, as it were, the Society has been
saved and exists still in Russia. We know the Sovereign

8 Rttpp, " History of the Religious Denominations of the United States,' 1
p. 165.
3

26 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

Pontiff recognizes it and that he has issued a brief which
authorizes your Paternity to readmit those who formerly
belonged to the institution. Nearly all our old Fathers
entreat to be allowed to renew the vows they made to
God when in the Society. They ask to end their days with-
in its fold and consecrate their declining } r ears to building
it up in this country should such be the will of God."

The good Bishop did not write in vain. Father Gnibcr
replied, granting the desired permission, and the former
Jesuits of America were restored to their previous status.
Father Molyneux was appointed Superior with authority
to receive novices. In 1806, at Georgetown, Bishop Car-
roll opened the first college of the restored Society. It
proved a success from the start, and in 1815, a few months
before the death of its founder, it was granted the title
and charter of a university. 3

The novitiate was at first an annex of the college,
but later on the Fathers wore able to secure for it a mure
retired location. The Jesuits for some time had been
proprietors of a large plantation at Whitemarsh, Situated
as it was, twenty-four miles from Georgetown, in a salu-
brious district, surrounded by vineynnis, prairies and
forests, with a large and commodious house upon it, it
lent itself easily to the requirements of a novitiate. The
novices were transferred there in the spring of

It was October 6, 1821, when Peter Do Snu-t and his
companions arrived at Whitenwrsh. Father Van (Juirkon-
borne of heroic memory, a native of Belgium also, was
Master of Novices at the time* He haiJ Invn horn in
the village of Pctoghem in the dioeese of (Ihont on Janu-
ary 21, 1788, and in 1812 received his ordination as a
secular priest. Following this came his appointment, as a
professor at the Preparatory Seminar)' of Rimlfr* cuitl
later that of vicar of St Denis near Courtrai. When tht*
Jesuits opened a novitiate at Rumbcke * the younjj jmest

* CL John Gilnwry Shea, "History of Georgetown Collide/' \Vttr.hin>!t<'n v
1891, Chap. iv.

* Concerning the novitiate of Rumbukc, see "Life *f Father Helta.?
d'Huddoghem," by A, Lcbrocquy, S, J M Ghent, 1878; Ohaj. ii.

THE NOVITIATE 27

sought admission to the Society. This was granted and he
had no sooner completed his noviceship than he obtained
permission from the Father-General to devote his activities
to the missions in America. Father Van Quickenborne ar-
rived in Maryland at the close of the year 1817, and in
1819 was placed in charge of the novices at Whitemarsh.
Archbishop Marechal said of him: "Father Van Quicken-
borne is a saint. The only fault I can find with him is
that he neglects his health." 5

Superior and Master of Novices, Father Van Quicken-
borne was at the same time farmer, carpenter, and mason.
He managed the plantation and the negroes that worked it;
and the two churches, one for the novitiate and the other
at Annapolis, eighteen miles away, were the products of
his own skill and supervision. Endowed with prodigious
energy, he also found time to travel through a vast extent
of country, laboring as a missionary among Catholics and
Protestants alike. Every fortnight he went to Annapolis
to say Mass. He regularly visited the sick and the poor
and devoted a portion of his time to the instruction and
encouragement of the negroes, whose cause he espoused.
He possessed the true spirit of a missionary, and his zealous
soul was rewarded with the satisfaction of numerous con-
versions. His view of life is aptly shown by a comment
which he was wont to utter frequently: "How consoling
it is to work with the angels for the happiness and salvation
of men!" In order that the novices might better compre-
hend and share his elation he would announce a holiday
and give them a repast whenever a hundredth convert
was added to his flock.

At such times as Father Van Quickenborne was called
away by the exigencies of his missionary work, his place
was filled by his assistant, Father Peter Timmermans. This
priest was a Belgian, a native of Turnhout in the province
of Antwerp. He was twenty-nine years of age and had
come out to America, a priest, with Father Nerinckx in
1817, His virtuous character was an inspiring association
for Father Van Quickenborae, and his premature death
removed from the society of the novices an influence

Letter to Mr, De Theux, Nov. 22, 1821.

28 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

which caused his memory to be deeply venerated by
them. 6

The following letter gives an account of Father De Smet's
entrance into the novitiate: "You suffered deeply," he
wrote his family, "when I left you without a word of fare-
well. Grieve no longer God was calling me and I had
to follow Him. ... If you only knew how happy I am in
the place where God has deigned to place me! Far from
the tumult of the city and sheltered from the corrupting
influence of the world my life passes in serene and tranquil
days. Here is the beginning of that golden age I used
to dream about when reading Virgil's Pastorals. My time
is spent in serving God, imploring His mercy for the re-
mission of my sins, begging for grace to persevere, and
praying for your happiness." 7 Time served not to cool
his ardor. The vigilant repression of an inflammable
temper, the long retreats, the minutiae of religious routine,
unceasing labor, and the interior work of the soul striving
for self-mastery were all doubtless vexations to his ardent
nature, yet in the observance of the rules of his Society
he was never known to relax.

Letters written by him at that time throw considerable
light on his moral attitude and the character of his piety.
It does not seem that he was taken up by the speculative
study of virtue, but rather that he sought after practicality
according to the maxim of Bossuet: "Woe to sterile
knowledge that leads not to love and betrays itself/'
His simple, sincere piety was neither strained nor studied.
Prayer, to Father De Smet, like study, was a means of
preparing for action and of rendering it fruitful. He
prayed to the Blessed Virgin with an abandonment and
confidence almost childlike in its simplicity, begging her
to bless his missionary career. Together with some of

8 "We never speak of Father Timmermans/' wrote Joost Van Assche sume
time later, "without expressing our admiration for his great humility, his
obedience, piety, and exact observance of the rules. One word from his Su-
perior was sufficient and he would go forth no matter where and without
a penny in his pocket. However numerous his occupations, he found time
every day to visit the Blessed Sacrament* Before starting out on a mission
he would prostrate himself before the altar, and when he returned, no matter
how wet and cold he might be, he would get off his horse, greet u, and
go straightway to the chapel." (Letter to Mr, De Kef, Dec. 4, 1825.)

7 Whitemarsh, Oct. 18, 1821.

THE NOVITIATE 29

his fellow-workers he became an apostle of the Rosary
in the country about Whitemarsh, and he was to learn
later that for every Rosary distributed by his band the
reward was one Protestant converted to Catholicity, 8
Peter De Smet's happy nature, which in Belgium had won
him the affection of his schoolmates, was still evident in the
Jesuit novice. His uprightness, rare common sense, and
great delicacy of feeling were admired and appreciated;
his characteristic virtue simplicity was at this time
already manifesting itself "that candor of soul which
seeks virtue, duty, and God alone." 9

The Society of Jesus was for him "the tenderest of
mothers, giving happiness to all who seek refuge within her
fold/' 10 but not, however, to an extent that eclipsed his
affection for his family. The irregularity of the foreign
mails left Peter two years without news from Belgium.
"Your silence," he wrote his father, "is a great sorrow
to me. I am unable to discover the reason of it. I
imagine that perhaps the letters in which I endeavored
to justify my course of action have displeased you. Alas !
dear father, is it then so reprehensible a thing for one to
obey the voice of God?" 11

Eventually, however, the long-awaited letters arrived:
"I have received three of your letters with the money
which you have had the goodness to send me. I was
beginning to despair of hearing from you when they came
to hand. Nothing could so rejoice my heart as your sub-
mission to God's will. He wishes me to be in America
not only to labor for my own salvation, but, should I prove
worthy, for the salvation of others as well."

"I can never forget," wrote his father, "that you left
without telling me" words which Peter could not read
without weeping* "Dear father," he writes again, "God
alone knows what It cost me to leave you as I did; but
after all xvas I not right? Reflect for a moment and I
am sure, considering the circumstances, you will not
condemn me. Had I told you of rny departure and
gone to say good-by to you, what would you not have
done to prevent my going, or at least to persuade me to

* Whitemarsh, Dec. 27, 1822. w Letter of Aug. 26, 1823.

* St. Francis do Sales. u Ibid.

30 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

wait for a few years? I foresaw everything and feared
the urgent promptings of human nature, which so often
triumph when we expose ourselves to their assaults. I
should not have been the first who, through yielding to the
tears and insistence of parents and friends, stepped aside
from his vocation. . . . Was it not my duty to trample on
my natural affections, rather than expose myself to the
loss of that happiness I came to seek in this distant land ?
I have already been abundantly compensated for all J
sacrificed to acquire it/' 12

Peter De Smet had been eighteen months at Whitemarsh
novitiate when an unforeseen circumstance brought him
in touch with the field of his future apostolate. For some
time past Bishop Dubourg of New Orleans had urged the
Jesuits to found a mission for the Indian tribes in Missouri. 13
At the beginning of 1823 he renewed his entreaties and,
this time, to Father Charles Neale, who had succeeded
Father Kohlmann as Provincial of the Maryland Province,
he offered by way of a gift to the Society a large and pro-
ductive farm near the village of Florissant, sixteen miles
from St. Louis. Economic conditions at Whitemarsh had
come to such a pass as to make Bishop Dubourg's offer
seem providential. Improper rotation of crops wheat and
tobacco having been the only alternates for years had so
impoverished the soil of the plantation that revenues suf-
ficient to maintain the institution were no longer possible,
and as the Maryland Province was too poor to support
the twenty young novices, a plan was already under
consideration for the removal of the novitiate to a more
favorable region.

Father Neale gladly accepted Bishop Dubourg's offer
and thereupon appointed Father Van Quickenborne
Superior of the new mission. Father Timmermans vras
selected to accompany him, and also given authority to

12 Letter of Dec. 8, 1823.

"Born in St. Domingo on 1776, William Dubourg was onlamcd prw'st in
Paris, and afterward joined the Society of St. Sulpice. In 1796 he came to
America. Bishop Carroll appointed Mm head of Georgetown College, and
later on he founded St. Mary's College at Baltimore. In 1815 he was made
Bishop of New Orleans. He labored zealously in his cfiocv.sc, which com-
prised nearly the whole of the basin of the Mississippi from the mouth of the
river to St. Louis and beyond into the Indian country.

THE NOVITIATE 31

take with him those novices who showed special fitness
and natural inclination for Indian missionary work.
Father Van Quickenborne announced the project to his
community and without a moment's hesitation seven
Flemish novices volunteered. Nothing, they said, could
give them greater happiness than to consecrate their lives
to the education and salvation of the Indians; for this
purpose they had come to America and they were gratified
to be the first called. The Master of Novices, being
satisfied as to their earnestness, accepted their offer to
accompany him to Missouri. Three lay Brothers also
formed part of the band: Brothers Peter De Meyer of
Grammont, Henry Reiselman of Amsterdam, and Charles
Strahan of Maryland. To complete the efficiency of the
personnel the Superior chose from among the negroes
attached to the plantation three families to work the farm
at Florissant.

Peter De Smet, his fondest dream realized, wrote to his
family at Tcrmonde: "For some time past Bishop Du-
bourg of New Orleans has wanted the missionaries of the
Society of Jesus to begin the conversion of the Indians,
large numbers of them being idolaters and still larger
numbers being without laws or religion. He has now
obtained twelve of us eleven Belgians and one American.
I thank God I am one of those chosen. . . . Pray for me
and my companions that God may deign to bless our
enterprise." 14 Bishop Dubourg asked Father Van Quick-
enborne how he would accomplish the journey, as, much
to his regret, he was not in a position to furnish him with
funds for that purpose. "Don't worry," was the cheerful
reply, "we will go on foot and beg our food; all my little
band are of one mind as to this/' 15

April nth was the day appointed for their departure,
and the missionaries started at sunrise, arriving by night-
fall at Baltimore where the final preparations for the trip
were to be made. Father Van Quickenborne hired two
wagons, each drawn by six horses, to transport the baggage
to Wheeling on the Ohio River. He had also a light

14 Baltimore, April 12, 1823.

Letter of Bishop Dubourg to his brother, Georgetown, March 17, 1823-
(Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, Vol. i, No. 5, P- 4*-)

32 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

wagon brought from Whitemarsh in which the missionaries
could travel in case illness or excessive fatigue rendered any
of them incapable of continuing on foot. When they
started off with that simple and inadequate equipment to
open a mission to savages fifteen hundred miles distant,
our young men little dreamed they were going to found
in the center of the United States a new province of the
Society of Jesus; that at St. Louis they would establish
a flourishing university; that they would erect numerous
colleges, and that their missions would extend from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, Canada, and even to
the shores of the Pacific.

On April i4th they left Baltimore and started on the
journey across the Alleghanies. The novices with the
lay Brothers, staff in hand, led the procession on foot.
Except on rare occasions they cooked their own food, and
at night sought shelter within the outhouses of some farm
or in an abandoned cabin. Father De Smet tells us in his
journal that "the Catholic families who were without a
resident priest would try to detain them; the Protestants
in general looked upon them as young adventurers of for-
tune and would offer them inducements to remain in the
neighborhood.'* This roving life in no way interfered
with the ascetic training of the novices. Arriving at
Conewago two days in advance of Fathers Van Quicken-
borne and Timmermans, they employed the intervening
time in transcribing Father Plowden's instructions upon
religious perfection, a work they had been obliged to
abandon upon leaving Whitemarsh. 16

After a march of eighteen days the young Jesuits ar-
rived at Wheeling. Their resources were inadequate for
the purchase of a boat, so the Superior, by way of a make-
shift, procured two scows which he caused to be lashed
together. On one he placed the negroes and the baggage;
the missionaries occupied the other, and thus they com-
mitted themselves to the current of the Ohio. The
beautiful river flowed between densely forested banks
with only here and there a cluster of miserable huts. The

"Father Percy Plowden (1672-1745), "Practical Methods of Performing
the Ordinary Actions of a Religious Life -with Fervor of Spirit. London*
1718.

ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI 35

present cities of Cincinnati, Louisville, and Madison were
then but small villages. The expedition traveled day
and night, only stopping to procure provisions. The
religious exercises for the novices were continued on board.
A bell was rung every morning for rising, meditation, and
examination of conscience. Mass was said every day and
the boat was, in fact, a floating monastery.

The usual dangers and difficulties which were features-
of the river navigation at that time beset the party.
Violent wind-storms took their craft beyond their control
and falling trees toppling into the stream from the eroded
banks, as well as sunken snags, were a frequent menace. 17
Steering so unwieldy a craft was at best difficult, but
floating brushwood made the task of the pilot quite arduous.
Brother Strahan, on whom this responsibility rested, was-
kept unceasingly on the alert to avoid the steamboats
which traveled up and down the river.

At Louisville the voyagers encountered the famous falls,
of the Ohio. In order to safely make the passage of the
rapids it was necessary to lighten cargo, and to this end
all of the party except Joost Van Assche went ashore,
loading the baggage into carts. Joost Van Assche alone
was permitted to remain aboard with the local pilot to
whose skill the craft was entrusted for shooting the rapids.
The band was to be reunited and to embark again some-
miles bc4ow the falls, where, as it happened, a pleasant
surprise was awaiting them. They were destined at their
point of rendezvous to meet no less a person than their
venerated and beloved friend, Father Nerinckx. The old
missionary was conducting a community of the Sisters
of Loretto who were leaving Kentucky for Missouri.
He was moved to tears by the happy and unexpected
meeting, for, realizing that his span of years was nearly
done, it brought comfort to his zealous soul to know that

17 "Trees that topple into the stream when the current washes away the
sustaining earth about the roots, float for some time until the roots or limbs-
catch on the bottom and hold them fast against the current. In the course
of months and years the action of the swift-flowing water sharpens the
trunk and branches and they go by the name of 'snags/ Frequently these
are hidden beneath the surface, and woo to any steamer that strikes one of
them, for they will rip the hull in the twinkling of an eye," (Jules Leclercq*
"Un e*te* en Am&ique*' 1 Paris, 1877, p. 166.)

34 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

the apostolic work which he had begun would be perpetu-
ated by such worthy and ardent men. "Your work will
be arduous," he told them, "but never forget God and He
will not forget you." To the very close of his life Father
Nerinckx followed with interest the missionary and
religious careers of these young men, and it so happened
that only a few days before his death he went to Florissant
to visit them and encourage them in their work.

The two flatboats, having made a safe passage through
the rapids, joined the missionaries who were awaiting
them at Portland. The horses and the wagon and all the
impedimenta were reembarked and the voyage continued
on down the Ohio. From Louisville to Shawneetown the
voyage was devoid of incident, but from here on a modifica-
tion of travel was necessary because, though only a few
days from St. Louis, the boats could not get up the Missis-
sippi and the party was obliged to complete the journey
on foot. Father Van Quickenborne sent the baggage on a
steamboat bound for St. Louis, and the missionaries took
their way overland through Illinois.

The prairies were inundated by spring rains and they were
obliged to tramp one hundred and eighty miles through
marshes, often up to the waist in water, seldom finding
shelter in farm or inn. Night would overtake them with no
better quarters than the floor of some barn or empty
stable, and the singing and biting of mosquitoes made sleep
an impossibility. At length, however, on Saturday, May
3ist, the travelers came in sight of St. Louis. They were
-exhausted, Father DC Smet tells us, having descended
nearly the whole length of the Ohio River, and having
covered more than four hundred miles on foot since leav-
ing Whitemarsh six weeks before. Did the sight of the
Mississippi's broad expanse, as it lay before them, recall
to their memory the splendors of Mcschaccbf\ "The Father
of Waters," spoken of by Chateaubriand? It is more
probable that their thoughts were only for those brave
pioneers of religion who had already evangelized that
country, and that they were thanking God for having
called them to take up again, after a lapse of more than a
century, the work of salvation which religious persecution
had suddenly arrested.

ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI 35

The population of St. Louis at that time numbered four
or five thousand. The new-comers were cordially received
at the Catholic academy lately erected by Bishop Dubourg.
The next day being the feast of Corpus Christi, to the
Father Superior was given the honor of carrying the Blessed
Sacrament in the procession, and this was, in fact, the first
time in the history of the town that a Jesuit had lifted up
the monstrance to the gaze of the faithful.

The evening of the same day Father Van Quickenborne,
impatient to reach his post, mounted a horse and set out
in company with Charles de la Croix, a former native of
Ghent and a missionary of six years' residence in Missouri.
Three days later, on June 3d, he was joined at Florissant
by his young traveling companions. 18

The village of Florissant, also known at the time as
St. Ferdinand, was situated about sixteen miles from
St. Louis, and at no great distance from the confluence of
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. At that time it
boasted about four hundred inhabitants, and concerning
the country surrounding it a traveler who visited there at
the beginning of the last century remarked, "No words
can describe its beauty and fertility. " 19 In spring and
summer the undulating floor of the valley was a sea of
verdure extending to the borders of vast forests of red,
black, and white oak, walnut, maple, and trees of every
species. In 1823 not a single habitation was to be seen
as the eye swept the verdant expanse of the surrounding
country. The soil of the district was of inexhaustible
richness and fertility, and such land as was under cultiva-
tion produced each year enormous crops. Florissant was
regarded as the granary of St. Louis and the wheat grown
there was renowned throughout Missouri, whence it was
conveyed by water to the markets of Lower Louisiana.

The house of the Jesuit Mission was about one and a
half miles from Florissant and stood upon an eminence.
The situation commanded a fine view of the country lying
spread before it like a panorama, with Florissant nestling

**The account of this journey is taken from Father Hill's interesting
book, "Historical Sketch of the St. Louis University," Chap, ii, St. Louis,

>*H. M. Breckenridge, " Views of Louisiana," Book ii, Chap. ii.

36 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

in the valley, the roofs of the houses peeping here and
there through the trees. To the west lay St. Charles,
with its low-roofed buildings rising in tiers on the bluffs
of the Missouri River, and to the north sinuous white
cliffs crowned with forests marked the course of the
Mississippi River above Alton.

However inspiring was this location, the buildings
themselves left much to be desired. The main structure
was an affair of one room about eight or nine yards wide,
surmounted by a gable roof pitched so low that a man
could not stand upright in the attic beneath it. A short
distance away stood two huts, each about twenty feet
square, and this group of three buildings was all their
accommodation. If comforts there were, they were very-
few; the walls were of logs placed one upon the other, the
intervening cracks being plastered up with mud. The roof
consisted of large shingles,* which for lack of nails were
held in place by strips of wood laid crosswise. The doors
were made of rough, hand-hewn slabs, and were fastened
by means of a wooden latch which was lifted by a string-
that hung outside. The windows were mere openings,
without glass, having shutters that fastened in a manner
similar to the doors.

The missionaries proceeded at once to make themselves
at home. The dark and stuffy attic became the dormitory
of the novices, and its floor, softened by a buffalo robe or a
handful of straw, served as their bed. The ground floor
was divided by a curtain which separated the chapel from
the bedroom occupied by the {Superior and his assistant.
One of the two outhouses, which in a former day had
served successively as a chicken-house and then a pig-
pen, was transformed into a study for the novices and also
a community refectory. The other outhouses were used
as a shelter for plows and farm implements, and as a
kitchen and sleeping-quarters for servants.

The long journey had exhausted their modest financial
resources and in a short while the community felt the

* Translator's Note: The shingles referred to were in all probability what
were commonly known in this part of the country as "cfapboards." Thets
differed from shingles, being made of oak generally, and being longer, wider,
and thicker.

ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI 37

bite of poverty. The farm, it is true, comprised about
three hundred acres, all agricultural land, but it had to be
-cleared, plowed, and planted with no help other than the
three idle negroes. The labor was arduous and was fol-
lowed by a protracted period of waiting for the first crop
yield. Scant clothing and an inadequate diet of corn and
bacon failed, however, to call forth a complaint. "Far
from complaining/* wrote Bishop Dubourg, "they thanked
God for giving them such a truly apostolic beginning." 20

The courageous Bishop himself gave them an example
of perfect trust in Providence: "I wished to be prudent
and have money in hand before seeking for missionaries,
and behold, the men came before the money! Thus does
God disconcert the plans laid by our poor human prudence.
. . . Could I refuse the services of this holy band of apostles
under the cowardly pretext that I did not know where to
find means to feed them ? God sent them to me and He will
not let them starve. Moreover, never have I felt such
entire confidence and peace as in this enterprise, which
I feel to be above and beyond my own powers and strength
to accomplish," 21 The good Bishop's trust did not go
unrewarded. About that time the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Faith sent him a sum of money which he
hastened to divide with the missionaries, and in addition
to this, Providence seemed to help them in other practical
ways. '

The Ladies of the Sacred Heart had then been estab-
lished some three years in Florissant. Madam Duchesne,
a woman celebrated for her virtues and renowned for the
religious houses which she had founded, was the Superior
at the time, and while her community was, in fact, quite
poor itself and had but scant means of support, the order
of its charity was heroic. They conducted a small school
and had enrolled several postulants. The arrival of the
Jesuit Fathers redoubled the self-sacrificing devotion of
these good women. "Believing that this special mission
had been confided to her, Madam Duchesne conserved

** To his brother, Aug. 6, 1823. (Annals of the Propagation of the Faith,
Vol. i\ No* 5, p. 41.)

** To his brother, March 1 7, 1 823. (Annals of the Propagation of the Faith,
Vol. i, No. 5, P. 390

38 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

her resources for the new-comers. Not content with
begging alms from the well-to-do families of St. Louis, she
also deprived herself of her own belongings, kitchen
utensils, linen, bedding, and other essentials, as well as
provisions; and whenever she heard that the missionaries
were in want she would assemble the nuns arid, intimating
that she had rather divined the Fathers' needy condition
than been told of it, because they never made their wants
known, she would let her tears plead the cause of her
proteges. This was always followed by a unanimous
resolution to practice greater self-denial. The nuns de-
voted a portion of every evening to making and mending
clothing for the missionaries. On one occasion, having
received a donation of five dollars for her convent, the
Mother Superior turned it over to her poorer neighbors,
and in commenting upon it when writing to Madam Barat
she said: 'We shall be a little Providence to others, even
as God is to us.'" 22

Thanks to the heroic charity of these nuns, the mis-
sionaries were able to eke out an endurable existence
amidst the hardships of the early days of the novitiate,
and ere long Father Van Quickenborne took steps to en-
large the house, adding a wing and a second story to the
main building and also porches running the entire length.
July 3ist, the feast of St. Ignatius, was chosen for the
beginning of the work. The only building-stone procur-
able had to be quarried from the river-banks, and the
trees from which the timbers and boards were to be hewn
were selected from a small island in the Missouri River
not far from the novitiate. Father Van Quickenborne
and his novices fell to their task with energy, and it was
not long before the ground was covered with huge oak
logs of many years' growth. The hewing and shaping of
the timbers was all done on the spot where the trees
were felled so as to facilitate transportation. While
engaged on this work an accident occurred which revealed
Father Van Quickenborne's indomitable will and resolu-
tion. One of the novices who was assisting him in squaring
up a timber, for lack of skill permitted the axe to glance,
striking the Superior on the foot. The blood gushed from
22 Bishop Batmard, "Life of Madam Duchesne," p. 303.

ARRIVAL OF THE JESUITS IN MISSOURI 39

the wound, but the priest would not desist from work till
overcome by faintness; only the weakness from loss of
blood compelled him to be seated and to permit his foot to
be bandaged with a handkerchief. When the time arrived
to return to the novitiate nothing would do but Father Van
Quickenborne must trudge the several miles on his wounded
foot. On the way, however, the pain became so excruciat-
ing that he was obliged to mount a horse. For several
days he was confined to bed with a high fever, but at the
first sign of improvement he returned to his work.

It was necessary for him to ride horseback, and this
circumstance gave rise to another accident. In certain
places the river-banks proved to be very marshy, and
Father Van Quickenborne suddenly found that his horse
had sunk into one of these treacherous bog-holes and
was mired to the shoulders. He, fortunately, was able
to dismount upon firm ground, but every effort to extricate
the poor animal was futile, and he had the pain of seeing
his mount perish before his eyes. 23 * These misfortunes,
however, were to the laborers but a part of the day's work,
and their ardor was unabated. On the island, which was
now transformed into a lumber-yard, the axe, saw, and
plane were plied incessantly, and it was not long before the
work of dressing was finished and the last beam had been
hauled up the hill upon which the novitiate stood. Nor
was the gathering of the timber and its preparation at-
tended to with more than sufficient dispatch, for the fol-
lowing night the island was washed away by a sudden
freshet in the Missouri.

The building operations went on apace, and no member
of the little colony lent himself to the work with greater
enthusiasm than Father De Smet. His skill and herculean
strength enabled him to' do the work of three men. As
late as a few years ago the remains of a hut built of enor-
mous logs, one above the other and cemented with mud,
were still to bo seen at the novitiate, the work of "Sam-
son/* who was both architect and builder. His notes tell

** Cf. Father De Smet, Selected Letters, 2d series, p. 174*
* Translator's Note; This bog-hole was in all likelihood nothing more or
less than one of the beds of quicksand which are quite common in the Mis-
souri River, especially near sloughs formed by islands or on sand-bars.

40 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

us how every man labored at this arduous task with great
enthusiasm: "most joyfully and pleasantly."

A truly remarkable thing is to be noted in the fact that
none of these hardships and engrossing labors were per-
mitted to interfere with the routine and regular spiritual
exercises of the novitiate. 24 It bespeaks the great strength
of soul of Father Van Quickenborne and his associates that
the spiritual practices peculiar to the community life of the
Society were not in any wise permitted to lapse or be abbre-
viated under the stress of pressing and necessary material
occupations.

The enlargement of the house was finally accomplished
and the little household more comfortably lodged; but
added space and new walls had not shut out the gnawing
wolf of poverty. The hard experience of the past months
had taxed to the limit the endurance of Francis De Maillet
and Charles Strahan, and they withdrew from the Society.
These defections from the ranks served only to strengthen
the tenacity of Peter De Smet. In one of his letters to
his father he said: "I am in good health, contented, and
.happy in our little hut. . . . You are convinced, I feel sure,
that the greatest happiness man can know here below is to
serve God, love Him with his whole soul, abandoning him-
self to the Divine Will; rejoice that your son has left the
world and sought refuge in religion, where he is sheltered
from the dangers that would have beset his path had he not
followed his vocation/' 25

The two years which had now passed since our young
men entered the novitiate at Whitemarsh were deemed to
be a sufficient term of probation, and on October 10, 1823,
the six Florissant novices made their first vows. Concern-
ing the happiness which he felt on this occasion Peter
De Smet wrote to his family: "I have had the honor of
consecrating myself to God by vows which to me will be
indissoluble bonds. I have given myself completely to
His service, making thereby an irrevocable and absolute
gift. It only now remains for me to sanctify myself in
this state and remain faithful all the days of my life.
Pray for me that I may persevere. " 2e

21 "Nothing of the spiritual exercises was meanwhile neglected."
26 Letter of Dec. 8, 1823. Ibid.

CHAPTER III

THE SCHOLASTICATB PRIESTHOOD FIRST LABORS
(1823-1830)

Father Van Quickcnborne at once Superior, Professor, Parish Priest at
Florissant, and Chaplain of the Sacred Heart Convent Father De
Theux Peter De Srnct's Studies Confidence Reposed in Him by His
Superiors His Taste for Natural Science The Priesthood Joost De
Smot's Death The Third Year Beginning of Apostolic Work-
Florissant, St. Charles, etc. The "Indian College 1 ' The Plan for a
''Reduction" Circumstances Preventing Its Accomplishment.

TWO days after pronouncing their vows the young
missionaries entered upon the studies that were to
prepare them for the priesthood, and, owing to the fact
that most of them had finished the "humanities" before
leaving Belgium, the course was opened with the study of
philosophy. A lack of text-books confronted the students,
and Peter De Smet wrote to his father asking that the
necessary ones be sent out. In addition to being Master
of Novices Father Van Quickenborne assumed the r61e
of Professor of Philosophy, and Peter Verhaegen, who had
begun his ecclesiastical studies at Mechlin, became his
assistant. The course was necessarily of a summary char-
acter, because a detailed knowledge of systems was not
as important to the future missionaries as a careful prepara-
tion in theology and a proper training and maturing of
their minds. The circumstances of the times called for the
earliest possible ordination of new priests.

On May 31, 1824, Father Timmermans succumbed to
"the hardships he endured during his missionary work;
the travel through arid and flooded districts; the lodging
in dilapidated huts and the sleeping on the ground; the
diet of water aad salt pork/' 1 He was only thirty-five

1 Letter to Madam Duchesne, Baunard, op. cit., p. 311*

42 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

years of age and was the first Jesuit to die in Missouri.
Two months later the missionaries lost Father Nerinckx.
The old priest had but just come to St. Louis, intending to
.devote the remaining years of his life to the poor and the
Indians. With this object in view he had asked Bishop
Rosati, coadjutor to Mgr. Dubourg, to give him the most
neglected mission in his diocese. After visiting the Sisters
of Loretto, who had established themselves the previous
year at Barrens, he went to his friends at Florissant in
order that he might take a long-needed rest. This visit was
destined to be Father Nerinckx's farewell for following it,
a few days later, the intrepid missionary died at St. Gene-
vieve in his sixty-third year, worn out by the fatigues of
his laborious ministry.

Father Van Quickenborne was now the sole remaining
priest at the Florissant Mission, where he filled the offices
of Superior, professor, parish priest, and chaplain to the
Ladies of the Sacred Heart. "Although weak in health/*
wrote Madam Duchesne, "he looked after four parishes
and other remote missions across the river. On Sundays
he said two Masses, preached three tinier in the morning,
taught catechism, and heard confessions in the intervals
between religious exercises." 2 No constitution, however
robust, could withstand the exactions of such a routine,
and, moreover, the training of the scholastics and the
direction of their studies required his constant presence.
This finally compelled Father Van Quickenborne to ask
his Superiors for an assistant.

On August 20, 1824, Peter De Smct wrote to his father:
"I have finished my course in philosophy, and when the
vacations are over I expect to begin theolngy we are
daily expecting professors from Rome." The expected
professors never came, but Providence bestowed upon the
new mission another remarkable Belgian who was destined
to leave behind him a reputation for sanctity. This was
Theodore De Theux of Meylandt, born on January 24,
1789, at Li&ge. After taking his degree brilliantly at the
seminary of Namur, he became, in 18x2* the vicar of St.
Nicolas in his native town.

The hospitals at Li&ge were at that time overcrowded

2 Florissant, June to, 1824,

THE SCHOLASTICATE 43

with Spanish prisoners who had been deported by Na-
poleon, and a malignant fever raging in their midst was
decimating their numbers daily. Abbe De Theux, that
he might hear the confessions of the stricken Spaniards,
lent himself with diligence to the acquiring of their lan-
guage, but before he made any progress in it he himself fell
a victim to the scourge, and was compelled to return to his
home. The disease was so contagious that in a few weeks
two of his brothers and four servants had died of it. The
young priest was at the point of death, but the designs
of Providence seemed to contemplate reserving him for
other work.

He was appointed professor of Dogma and Sacred
Scripture at Liege in 1815, and presided at the opening of
the new seminary, where he happened to meet Father
Nerinckx, and experienced the call which added him to
the ranks of American missionaries. In April, 1816, he
left Belgium without again seeing his parents, and was
received into the novitiate of the Society of Jesus by
Father Grassi, Superior of the Maryland Province in
America. Almost immediately following his reception into
the Society he was given the chair of philosophy in George-
town University, was appointed preacher to the students,
and soon thereafter became head of the Georgetown parish
and mission, "Such," wrote Archbishop Marshal, "is the
fervor of his piety, the immensity of his zeal, and his great
charity, that numerous Protestants attended his instructions
and afterward embraced the Catholic Faith." 3 To those
who remonstrated with Father De Theux for his excessive
labors he replied, "It is for this that I became a Jesuit."

Father De Theux had been eight years in Maryland
when his Superior, Father Dzierozytiski, sent him to join
Father Van Quickenborne in Missouri. Upon his arrival
at Florissant in October, 1825, he was struck with the
poverty and needs of the mission, but, far from being dis-
mayed, he remarked, "The Apostles were only twelve in
number when they undertook the conversion of the world;
our successors will finish the work we have been unable
to accomplish." 4

'Letter to Mr. De Theux, Nov. 22, 1821.
* Letter to his mother, Feb. 3, 1826.

44 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Father Van Quickenborne had by this time been ap-
pointed Vicar General of Upper Louisiana, 5 a position
which did not, however, abolish his ministry in Florissant
and the surrounding country, and Father De Theux re-
lieved him of the theological training of the young religious.
Father De Theux* s previous studies and his experience in
Georgetown facilitated this work for him, and though
time was wanting in which to thoroughly develop his course
of instruction, he made it his aim, through solid and prac-
tical teaching, to prepare his students for a fruitful aposto-
late, not only among the Indians, but also in the field of
Protestantism.

Having already studied theology for a year under Father
Van Quickenborne, Peter De Smet followed only a two
years' course under the direction of Father De Theux.
At Florissant, as at Mechlin, the solid quality of his mind
and the sureness of his judgment won him the entire con-
fidence of his Superior. "For several years," he writes
later on, "I enjoyed the happiness of living with Father
De Theux in a miserable little hut, and at his express wish
I became his monitor. It was agreed between us that
twice a week he should question me upon the faults and
defects I had observed in him. He begged me never to
spare him, nor consider his feelings, saying he would be
most grateful for this service, and would often pray for
me. I observed him carefully in the performance of his
spiritual exercises, in his class of theology, at table, and
at recreation, and never discovered the least failure in
duty. He was grieved that I did not correct him so to
quiet the good priest I would mention some trifling imper-
fection, a mere nothing, which he thanked me for. I feel
sure he prayed for me/' 6

Innumerable were the unpleasant circumstances and
incidents which conspired to render the studies of the
scholastics burdensome, but Peter De Smct took every-
thing in good part. * 'Thank God!" he writes, "I am
wonderfully well. I have suffered with the heat, it is

8 The letter of Archbishop Dubourg, in which he appoints him, is dated
Dec. 28, 1824. Cf. "History of the Society of Jesus in North America,**
by Thomas Hughes, S. J. f London, 1910, p 1027*

* Selected Letters, 3d series, p. 191.

THE SCHOLASTICATE 45

true, but then we have other advantages of which you
are deprived. In Flanders I had often to be bled a
custom of the country, and an operation which there
required a doctor. It is done here, gratis, by gnats,
mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and flies. They are so obliging!
It is far easier to kill them than to try to dissuade them
from rendering this service." 7

During vacation young De Smet collected minerals,
plants, and the insects peculiar to the country, thereby
acquiring so thorough a knowledge of natural science that
his name came to be known among scientific men. He
collected not only to satisfy his own curiosity and his
thirst for knowledge, but also to send specimens to his
family and the benefactors of the missions. "I have read
with pleasure," he writes his brother Charles, "that you
have an extended knowledge of foreign trees and plants,
and I am only waiting to know what specimens you want
before sending you some from my own collection. I have
gathered near here every interesting specimen that is not
to be found in Flanders. These I. will send you at the
first opportunity. ... I know several travelers who often
pass through the Indian country, and you shall have your
share in everything I receive/' 8 He further tells about a
consignment of insects, birds, and snakes, and refers to the
fact that he had made a collection of reptiles of "every
species in the State of Missouri." Madam De Theux,
the mother of his theology teacher, received a collection
of some two hundred insects, as well as of the different
seeds peculiar to the locality. A similar collection was
forwarded to the Jesuits in Rome.

The care of souls, however, remained the all-absorbing
interest of these pioneer priests: "A mission territory some
three thousand leagues in circumference and one devoid
of ministers of the Gospel has been confided to our care.
Pray and have prayers and Masses said for us and for
the unfortunate people scattered through this wilderness
who are waiting on our ministration. " fl "The misery of
so many souls deprived of the light and consolation of true
religion saddens my heart. Since I am not in a position

7 To his father, St, Ferdinand, Aug. 20, 1824.

* Feb. io f 1828. , * To his father, Dec. 8, 1823.

46 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

to labor among them, the thought of their condition spurs
me on and urges me to beseech heaven in their behalf.
I beg you, my dear father and my sisters and brothers, to
add your supplications to mine. Our united prayers can-
not fail to obtain what should be the desire of every good
Catholic the conversion of sinners, and the return of our
erring brothers to the fold." 10

The time for his ordination was now approaching.
Having finished the course in philosophy, Peter De Smet
received the tonsure and minor orders from Bishop Rosati.
In a letter to his father under date of May 7, 1827, he says:
"We shall pass our examinations in logic, metaphysics,
natural philosophy, and theology in July, after which,
in all probability, we shall be ordained. Pray for me. 1 '
On September 23 d of the same year, in the parish church at
Florissant, Bishop Rosati conferred Holy Orders upon
young De Smet and his three companions, John Elet,
Joost Van Assche, and Felix Verreydt. 11 The following
day, the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, Father De Smet
celebrated his first Mass.

The father of our missionary was not destined to realize
here on earth the joy and satisfaction of knowing that his
son had become a priest, for seven months before, in his
ninety-first year, he passed away in the bosom of his
loving and devoted family. 12 Peter could never free him-
self from the feeling that his father cherished a certain
resentment against him because of his departure from
home. "In reading over the letters you wrote me three
or four years ago I experience an inexpressible joy when
I perceive that you are completely resigned to the will of
God, and note the sentiments you entertain in my regard,
but when I consider that these letters are the only ones I
have received from home, and that I am in complete
ignorance of all that is happening to you, I am weighed
down with sadness." 13

The irregularity of sailings and mails at that period
would account for the silence of De Smet senior. There

10 April 29, 1824.

11 John Baptiste Smedts and Peter Verhaegen toad bean ordained the
previous year.

12 Joost De Smet died Feb. 15, 1827.
18 To his father, May 7, 1827.

PRIESTHOOD 47

exists, however, a touching proof of the affection which
Joost De Smet felt for his son. Not long before his
death he sat for a portrait, in which he is seen holding in
his hand a letter from Peter, a pose he insisted upon taking.
When the missionary returned to Belgium he often stood
before that venerated image and there read the assurance
of his pardon.

Having completed their studies for the priesthood, the
young religious now passed from the status of scholastics to
probationers, as it were. Despite the fact that the mission
was in need of active ministers of the Gospel, Father Van
Quickenborne would not curtail the course prescribed by
St. Ignatius by omitting the "third year," and he even took
upon himself the duties of instructor. With appealing
eloquence he preached to these young men the principles
of self-abnegation, and instilled into them the love of
Christ. He exhorted them to apostolic zeal with such
burning words that the lapse of thirty years could not
efface them from the memory of Father De Smet: "The
salvation of souls was the one thought, desire, and longing
of his life. . . . He communicated his devouring zeal to
others and one felt carried away by his words. Those
who could not materially aid him in his work were moved
to pray for his success." 14

In addition to the lectures of the Superior the young
priests now added the practical work of ministry by
frequently visiting the Catholics living in the neighborhood
of Florissant. Touching upon his early experiences in a
letter to his sister Rosalie, Father De Smet says: "Nu-
merous difficulties confront us who are working for the
evangelization of this country. In this part of America
there are few churches. We are obliged oftentimes to say
Mass in a roofless hut, with the congregation exposed to
heat, cold, and inclement weather. In winter the altar
is often covered with snow, and in summer it streams with
wax from the candles melted by the excessive heat. An-
other great difficulty is the scattered population. By far
the smaller percentage of the Catholics live in the settle-
ments, the majority being dispersed throughout the wilder-
14 Selected Letters, 3d series, p. 178,

48 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

ness sometimes at a distance of fifteen or twenty miles
from one another. We are obliged to seek them like lost
sheep, often at the peril of our lives. Sometimes we spend
the night in the woods, exposed to the attacks of the
wolves, which are quite numerous in these parts, or we
may sojourn in a hut where a fire is our only light, and
our clothes the only bed-covering. We cross rivers on
horseback, or on the trunk of a fallen tree, or in a
bark canoe. Again and again we eat our first meal at
six o'clock in the evening, and oftentimes are obliged
to postpone even this one till the following day. Hard-
ships of this character, however, reduce embonpoint, and
we are all in excellent health, a fact that astonishes
the Americans. We tell them it is the Belgian blood
in our veins. There is much talk about black and
yellow fever and chills and fever, but as for myself,
thank God! I have not fallen a victim to any of these
maladies and am always the same Peter." The letter
concludes with an appeal to the generosity of the clergy
and Catholics of Termonde: "I know, dear sister, that
you enjoy a game of lotto with Mile, X. ... Give the
winnings to our poor missions." 15

The exercises of the "third year" were concluded July
31, 1828, and from that time forward the needs of the
mission were not so great. Before beginning the work of
converting the Indians, the Catholics were sought out and
drawn away from Protestant influences. The Protestant
ministers were endeavoring in every way to interfere with
the work of the Jesuits. Catholicism was represented by
them as a collection of absurd doctrines, and this attitude
was backed up by gross calumnies about the Jesuits. In
addressing the ignorant classes these preachers were wont to
paint the Jesuits as monsters with hoofs and horns, and
when the first priest came among the people of this locality
he was scrutinized as a curiosity. It did not take long,
however, to dispel these false impressions and win the
misguided ones to the faith.

Prior to the founding of the college in St. Lotus the
Jesuits had two principal centers of activity: Florissant
and St. Charles. When they came to Florissant they
Florissant, Feb. 16, 1828. (Translated from the Flemish.)

FIRST LABORS 49

found a Belgian priest, Father Charles de la Croix, 16 in
charge of the parish. This man's faith and piety had
caused Bishop Dubourg to regard him as his principal
auxiliary, and the Bishop used to call him "his good
angel." When, eventually, physical exhaustion compelled
Father de la Croix to quit his post, the parish was turned
over to Father Van Quickenborne, who from 1828 on had
as his assistants Fathers De Theux and Elet.

The ardent zeal, the charity, and the forceful, convinc-
ing words of these priests deeply moved Catholics and
Protestants alike, and enthusiasm spread. Retreats were
preached by the missionaries, attracting the villagers to
the church at first, and afterward bringing them to the
holy table. Madam Duchesne, who witnessed these
marvels, was lost in admiration: "These Fathers," she
remarked, "seem capable of converting an entire kingdom."

St. Charles, situated on the left bank of the Missouri
River, some ten miles above Florissant, numbered in
population about one hundred Catholic families, all more
or less poor. From contributions which he had begged
Father Van Quickenborne was enabled to replace the
barnlike building that served this community for a church,
by a stone structure, which was looked upon as the most
imposing in that region. The parish was ministered to-
by Father Verhaegen first, and later by Fathers Smedts
and Verreydt, with the same success that their fellow-
priests had already attained at Florissant.

From these two main centers the missionaries extended
their apostolic work unto the surrounding country. Father
Van Quickenborne, writing in 1829, says: "The St. Charles-
church had three smaller churches attached to it. These

u Born in 1792 at Hoorebekc-St.-Corneille in Eastern Flanders, Charles
de la Croix was one of those valiant seminarists of Ghent who were forced
into Napoleon's army. Ordained priest by Bishop Dubourg in 1817, he
followed the missionary bishop to America. His first appointment was
that of parish priest at Barrens, going later on to Florissant. He had
begun the conversion of the Osage Indians when he was stricken down by
a severe illness. After a sojourn in Belgium, where he remained some
time, he was called to the pastorate of St. Michael's in Louisiana in 1829..
He remained five years longer in America, and returned to Ghent, where he
became Canon of the Cathedral and Secretary General of the Society for the-
Propagation of the Faith, Thence, until his death in 1869, he labored for
the cause of the missions.

S o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the Fathers visited once a month to celebrate Mass, 17
and also called upon six other stations about one hundred
and forty-two miles distant. These latter places were
only recently established, and when, two years ago, I
visited them for the first time there were but seven Catho-
lics to be found. The mission priest, on his latest visit
to these stations, gave thirty-two communions and also
converted several Protestants. To-day the Catholics
there number one hundred and eighty souls. " 1S

Although he was at that time in charge of the "Indian
College," of which we will speak later on, Father DC Smet
tells us he often went to assist his companions in the dif-
ferent mission posts. 19 No one rejoiced more than he in
the progress Catholicism was making. "It seems," he
writes, "that the National Synod of the Bishops of America
that sat last October, has thrown the Protestant ministers
into a state of panic. 20 Before that event the progress
our religion was making no doubt alarmed them* but now
they have abandoned all restraint, and in their alarm give
vent to a bitterness and hatred which betrays itself in
atrocious calumnies spread abroad against everything
Catholic. One can hardly repress a smile when reading
their periodicals: 'The terrible Inquisition is being born
again in this beautiful land of liberty, and instruments of
torture and the gallows will soon be erected upon the ruins
of Protestantism.' Despotism, JcsuitismSMcli are the
names applied to the government of the Church, . , . The
National Synod is condemned as a work of Satan and is
every imaginable abomination. . . . 'The standard of the
beast with ten horns (thus they designate the Sovereign
Pontiff) is being waved from one end of the Republic to the
other, and rivers of blood will soon inundate the land/

"By having recourse to the basest calumnies, the

17 These villages were Dardcnne, Hancock Prairie, and Portage tiif Siuux,

18 Letter to Mr. DC Nef, May 30, 1829.

10 "Prom 1827 to 1833 I was attached tr> the missions at St. Charles,
Portage, Dardcnne, St. Ferdinand, etc." (Itinerary manuscript.}

80 This was the first Provincial Council of Baltimore, he'k! Oct. X , 1^39, pre-
sided over by Archbishop Whitfield. The assembled bishops tMttwratvti upon
means of extending the Faith and combating " the spirit of imlifferenee which,
under the specious name of liberalism, tends to confound truth with error,
representing all religions as equally good." (Sec pastoral letter of thc?Arch*
bishop of Baltimore in "I/ Ami de la Religion/' Dee. 1 6,

FIRST LABORS 51

Protestants endeavor to terrify good people, but, God be
praised! the people are beginning to mistrust these proph-
ets. They are investigating the situation for themselves,
and cease to put faith in the worn-out stories of our enemies.
We shall soon have the joy of seeing prejudices vanish one
by one, and truth triumph." 21

The kind services rendered the Fathers upon their ar-
rival in Florissant by the Ladies of the Sacred Heart were
not forgotten, and in gratitude the Jesuits offered them-
selves as chaplains to the community. Father Van
Quickenborne became their spiritual director. He was a
stern man, brief in conversation, and knew but one road
that of humility and renunciation. The Mother Superior,
no less than the nuns, was conducted along a thorny path.
One day the good Mother, moved by the poverty of the
Fathers, sent them a cooked dinner. Father Van Quicken-
borne returned it with the curt remark that he had not
asked any alms of Madam Duchesne. Such rigor as this can
be applied only to strong souls, but that it was to the liking
of the Superior and her heroic companions is evidenced in
her correspondence with Madam Barat. "Truly," she
writes, "it would be very bad taste on my part to com-
plain, when I am favored and upheld by so many friends
of God. The guidance of these holy men is so uplifting
that I delight more in our poverty-stricken country life
than I should in that of a well-endowed convent in town."

The esteem felt by Madam Duchesne for the Jesuit
Fathers was evinced even in a greater degree by the interest
she showed in their work. On occasions when they went
forth to visit their outlying congregations she would with
celerity and generosity equip them with vestments, altar
linen, sacred vessels; also money, cooking-utensils, and
even the horse belonging to the convent. Indignant at
the thought of the money which the Protestants were
raising to oppose the work of the missionaries, she ex-
claimed, sublimely: "Could my flesh be converted into
money, I would give it willingly to help our missions!" 22
From this time dates the religious friendship between
Madam Duchesne and Father De Smet. Appreciating

To his sister Rosalie, Feb. i, 1830.

** "Histoire de Mme. Duchesne/' Baunard, pp. 306 et seq.

52 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

his zeal and initiative, she never ceased to pray for the
success of his work and encourage him in every way.
He in return venerated her, and was grateful to her to the
end of his life.

The Indians, meanwhile, were not overlooked. Dis-
possessed of their lands and driven west by the whites,
they now found refuge and support in the Catholic
Church. A considerable number of them, whose fathers
had been instructed and baptized by the Jesuits, were well-
disposed toward Catholicity. Protestant ministers made
repeated attempts to gain their confidence, but were
always coldly received. 23 "What had they to do," asked
the Indians, "with married preachers, men who wore no
crucifix, and said no rosary? They wanted only the
Black Robes to teach them how to serve God. They even
went so far as to appeal to the President of the United
States, asking that the married ministers might be recalled
and Catholic priests sent in their place/' 24

In 1823 a deputation of the Indians of Missouri came to
St. Louis, and had an interview with the Governor, They
also saw the pastor of the Cathedral, begged that mission-
aries be sent among them, and promised that any priests
who should come would be accorded the very best treat-
ment. The following year a family of Iroquois or Algon-
quins journeyed to Florissant to have their children,
baptized. On another occasion the head of a family
brought the dead body of his son, wrapped in a buffalo robe,
to a priest, asking to have it interred in consecrated ground*

The all-absorbing desire of the missionaries \vas to go at
once to the Indians. The scarcity of priests, however,
made it impossible for them to found new missions, so in
1824 they decided to open a school in Florissant where
the children of the various tribes could be instructed,
baptized, and brought up in the Catholic faith. In addi-
tion to the fact that the United States Government granted
a subsidy to this school, it offered to the Jesuits a further

23 " Each sect desired the conversion of the Indians as a proof of the divinity
of trieir particular doctrine. (Letter of Father Van Quickcnbornc to Mr.
De Nef, May 30, 1829.)

34 Letter of Father De Smet to his father, Aug. 20, 1824.

FIRST LABORS 53

advantage, in that, while the scholastics were awaiting
ordination, they could study the language and habits of
the Indians. It was further hoped that the Indian pupils
would eventually be of assistance as interpreters and
catechists. The Ladies of the Sacred Heart shortly
afterward opened a similar school for Indian girls.

Father Van Quickenborne built a frame school-building
of two stories and about forty foot frontage adjoining the
mission house, and it was not long before the Indian
children began to arrive, some being sent by Catholic
families in St. Louis, others by superintendents of the
tribes in Missouri, a few being brought by their own
parents. Two months after the opening of the school
Peter De Smet writes: "Already two chiefs of the Ayonais
have brought their children to us for instruction. One
of the chieftains, in giving his children to the Superior,
said, 'Black Robe, this one is an orphan boy; the others
have lost a mother whom they loved tenderly; in you
they will find both father and mother. By teaching them
to know the Master of life you will be giving them every
good.'" Father De Smet describes this chief as "a giant
in stature, tawny of skin, hair and face daubed with
vermilion after the manner of savages. 25 His ears were
pierced with many holes, and from his head hung two tin
tubes in the form of a cross filled with feathers of dif-
ferent colors. His clothes consisted of a green shirt and
knee-breeches of doe-skin, attached to which were the tails
of wildcats that flapped about his legs as he walked. 1 *
In the same letter Father De Smet goes on to say, "The
children are very attentive at the instructions. They are
being prepared for baptism, and we hope they will one day
be apostles to their respective tribes. Many more chil-
dren are on their way to our school, and if we had the
means we could accommodate about eighty pupils." 26

Before long the children that congregated at the school

85 It is an abuse of the word to speak of the " redskins " of America. " None
among the peoples of the New World have red skin, unless painted, which
often happens. Even the reddish tinge of the skin resembling that of the
Ethiopian is found only among half-breeds. In America one sees people of
various shades of yellow from brownish to yellow, and .even paler." Den-
iker, "Lee Races et les Peuples de la Terre," Paris, 1900, p. 593-

* Letter to his father, Aug. 20, 1824*

54 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

represented seven or eight different tribes. They were
taught writing and English. The older ones were in-
structed in agriculture, and in order to incite them to take
up the manual labor inseparable from this study, it was
necessary for the Fathers to join in the plowing and spad-
ing of the soil, as the savage regards this as menial work,
and hence beneath his dignity. 27

The day came when the Catholic families of St. Louis
in default of a college sent their children to the mission
school. At first the scholastics of Florissant taught the
young Indians, and Father De Smet was at the head of
this department. After the "third year," however, he
seems to have been left quite alone. No human motive
could have persuaded him to seek this particular phase of
the work, for those who know the idleness, the unsteadi-
ness, and the revolting filth of the Indians, know also that
constant contact with these gross natures requires a
heroic charity of which God alone can judge the price. 2 *
But nothing deterred this man, who, upon his arrival in
St. Louis, wrote to his father: "To suffer and die for the
salvation of souls is the sole ambition of a true mis-
sionary/' 29

The Indian children grew and prospered, and while at
Florissant contracted industrious habits and learned pious
practices. When, however, this part of their education

87 The presence of the children was a means of reaching the parents*. "A
short time ago," writes Joost Van Assche, "a party of about thirty Indian*
came to visit us. Ono of them, seeing his son carrying a bucket of waUr,
asked him had he become a slave they call those who work, ski\v,*>
but after three days, seeing that the children were well treated, the, Indian*
suffered a change of mind and spoke quite otherwise. During their visit
they entirely consumed one of our biggest beeves and nearly all our jxitutots.
The day the caravan arrived one of the Indians saiil he wished to take away
his son, who seemed quite willing to go. Before leaving the father niad
the boy recite his prayers and other things he knew perfectly. He then in
my presence said to him: 'My son, I will not take you with mo. You have
everything here that is good for you. You pray night and trw irning to the
Master of life while we are roaming the woods like wild beasts. Kuwaiti
here, and I will come soon again to see you." (Letter to Mr. Uc Nt-f, Dec,
4, 1*25.)

28 "We pray fervently for the conversion of the Indians, and in obtain
laborers in the missionary field," wrote Madam Dueheiwe, "but they must
be men who have died to all things, for every feature about the work is
against human nature. Faith only, and the love of Christ suffering, ca sup*
port a soul in such labor." (June 10, 1824,)

29 Aug. 26, 1823.

FIRST LABORS 55

was finished, there was no alternative but to send them
back to their tribes, there to be deprived of religious help,
and exposed, in their own families, to gross superstition
and revolting immorality. To meet this situation the
Jesuits formulated a plan whereby, instead of returning
home, the young men upon leaving school should marry
the Christian girls of their tribes girls who had been
educated by the nuns of the Sacred Heart. Each family
was to receive a certain allotment of land, and thus the
newly-baptized, under the vigilant eyes of the mission-
aries, would found a Christian village, the first foundation
serving as a model for others. 30 This plan met with the
approval of President Jackson and also that of Very Rev.
John Roothaan, General of the Society of Jesus, 31 but
two obstacles were encountered which rendered it im-
practicable.

The first difficulty grew out of the limited resources
of the Florissant mission, which in 1827 barely sufficed
to feed thirty pupils, and which could not be expanded or
stretched so far as to purchase the six thousand acres of
land necessary for the project. 32 The second difficulty was
found in the unstable character of the Indians, and still
more in the land-grabbing policy of the United States
Government. When the Osages consented to cede their
Missouri lands to the Government and retire to Indian
Territory, they took away with them the greater number
of the children at the mission. From this time on the
number of scholars, never exceeding forty, decreased
steadily.

This train of circumstances forced the Fathers, in 1830,
to close their school. Providence was calling them to
labor in other fields. They continued striving by every
means, nevertheless, to follow and convert the Indians
who were constantly moving further and further west,

30 In a letter to Mr. De Nef (May 30, 1829) Father Van Quickenborne set
forth this project, and its advantages. This letter, almost in its entirety,
is to be found in the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, Vol. iv, p. 583,

S1 Cf. The Woodstock Letters, Vol. xxv, p. 354.

**The Government which had approved the scheme should have sup-
ported it, but Father Van Quickenborne hardly hoped for this: "The ex-
pense for one year exceeded 1,600 francs ($320) and the Government
paid only 400 francs ($80). . . . For many reasons I think it is not to our
interest to ask for their cooperation." (Letter cited.)

g6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

.and Father Van Quickenborne, at the price of great dif-
ficulty and inexpressible hardships, started new missions
among the tribes.

As to Father De Smet, he was the last to leave his
beloved school, where, to the end, he had the satisfaction
of seeing the children docile to his directions and attentive
to the lessons he taught them. He had learned their
language and come to understand their habits. Later,
when he was in the Rocky Mountains and in Oregon, and
again became instructor to the Indians, he needed but to
recall to memory the customs and organization of the
Florissant school.

CHAPTER IV

THE ST. LOUIS COLLEGE SOJOURN IN EUROPE
(1830-1837)

St. Louis, "the Queen of the West" Building the College Father De
Smet, Prefect, Professor of English, and Procurator Rapid Growth
The College is Given the Title and Privileges of a University Financial
Embarrassment Father De Smet is Sent to Europe to Obtain Money
His Health Requires a Change A Visit to His Family, to Benefactors,
and to Mr. De Nef A Financial Success Father De Smet Wishes to Sail
A Serious Illness Forces Him to Return to Belgium He Obtains
Permission to Leave the Society Services Rendered to the Nuns at
Termonde The Foundation of the Carmelites at Alost His Devotion
to the Missions As Soon as His Health is Restored He Returns to
Missouri, and is Readmitted to the Society of Jesus.

UPON the west bank of the Mississippi, twenty miles
below the mouth of the Missouri River, and in the
center of an immense plain extending from the Great
Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Alleghanies to
the Rocky Mountains, stands the city of St. Louis, "the
Queen of the West," as it has long been called by Amer-
icans.

Few cities equal it in its commercial and agricultural
advantages. A network of streams, whose navigable
waters total some thirty thousand miles, formed by the
tributaries of the Mississippi, makes St. Louis the center
of the whole Mississippi basin. The Missouri, the Ar-
kansas, the Illinois, the Ohio, and the Wisconsin rivers
flow through States abounding in wheat, coal, minerals, and
timber of every variety. This river system waters a land
that is exceeded in fertility by no country in the world.

Founded in 1764 by French colonists from Louisiana,

St. Louis was at that time an outpost from which trappers

penetrated into the wilderness to trade with the Indians,

and to hunt the beaver and the bison, returning after each

'5

S 8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

expedition to place their furs in its market, which was a
dominant factor in the raw fur trade of the world.

St. Louis, with Louisiana, was ceded to the United States
by Napoleon in 1803, and soon thereafter began the settling
up of the rich country that to-day forms the State of
Missouri. Through concessions of land and the granting
of immunities, the Government encouraged immigration,
and the population increased rapidly. When the Jesuits
arrived in Missouri, St. Louis was entering upon a develop-
ment destined to make it one of the first cities of the
New World. 1 In 1822 the town was granted a municipal
charter, and four years later (1826) it became the scat of
a Bishopric independent of the See of New Orleans. 2 The
population of Missouri, which for the greater part was
Catholic in the beginning, began to feel the influence of
Protestantism, as exemplified by Methodists, Quakers,
Anabaptists, and Presbyterians, all of whom had their
ministers, preachers, and schools, and to offset this in-
fluence a Catholic college was badly needed for those of
good faith, who were thrown into contact with the dis-
senters. 3

Before returning to Prance Bishop Dubourg offered the
Jesuits a large tract of land just outside the city limits, and
Bishop Rosati's first act, when he became Bishop of St.
Louis, was to renew the offer made by his predecessor.

The main object of the Jesuits in coming to Missouri
had been the evangelization of the Indians; but a ministry
to the whites seemed to offer at that time an opportunity
for more abundant and lasting good. Father Van Quicken-
borne submitted the proposition to Father Dssioroxynski,

1 In 1820 St. Louis had about 5,000 inhabitants; in 1850, 80,000, and the
census of to-day credits it with over 700,000.

2 Overcome by the fatigues and difficulties of aciminfct ration, Bishop
Dubourg returned to France in 1826, where, as Archbishop of Bcftini,*nn hu
died in 1833. Bishop De Neckere, a Belgian, succeeded him at NVw < >r-
leans, and Bishop Rosati, who since 1823 had acted as Coadjutor at St.
Louis, became titular Bishop of that city in 1827.

Joseph Rosati was born in 1790 at Sora in the kingdom of Xaplt^. Hi*
joined the congregation of St. Lazarus and early in life consecrated himself
to the American Missions, This worthy man created the di'iaw.* of St,
Louis, which he administered for sixteen years, during which time he hon-
ored with his constant friendship the Fathers of the Scx*iety of Jims.

* A former college, confided by Bishop Dubourg to some secular
had not prospered.

, THE ST. LOUIS COLLEGE 59

who, regarding it favorably, confided to the Superior at
Florissant the foundation of the new college. Money
being an important factor in the project, Father Van
Quickenborne was obliged to raise what he could by sub-
scription from the people of St. Louis. His efforts in this
direction were rewarded by the collection of $3,000, which
was but half of the sum required; for the balance he
trusted to a beneficent Providence.

In the autumn of 1828 work was begun under his direc-
tion and that of Father Verhaegen. Father De Smet often
laid aside the duties of his professorship and for a change of
occupation went to St. Louis to help in the construction
work. With his own hands he cut stone, carried bricks,
and directed the sanitary arrangements. In less than a
year the building was finished and Father Verhaegen was
appointed Rector, with Fathers De Theux and Elet as
directors of the institution. The college opened Novem-
ber 2, 1829, with forty pupils, including both day-
scholars and boarders, and from that time on the attend-
ance grew constantly. Three months later Father De
Smet writes: "There are already more than one hundred
scholars at the St. Louis College, the greater part of them
being Protestants, and many of these coming from a dis-
tance of more than four hundred leagues/' 4 This rapid
growth called for a corresponding increase in the faculty,
and in 1830 the school at Florissant was closed and
Father De Smet sent to St. Louis, where he filled the
offices of Procurator, Prefect of Studies, and 'Professor
of English.

"Our establishment continues to prosper," he writes to
his sister. "We have more than one hundred and fifty
pupils, of whom half are Protestants. You can picture
me in the midst of this mischievous band, making deafen-
ing noises at recreation, and leading me a merry dance
when it gets the opportunity. In spite of all this, however,
we have every reason to be satisfied, since the greater
number behave well, and make rapid progress in their
studies/' 5 It was evident that Father De Smet regretted
the separation from his little savages at Florissant, but his

4 Letter to his sister Rosalie, Feb. i, 1830.

5 St. Louis, May 9, 1832.

60 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

kindness and good spirits soon won the affection of his
new pupils, many of whom remembered him in after-life,
and contributed to his missions.

In 1831, Father Roothaan, General of the Jesuits, deem-
ing the future of the Missouri Mission assured, detached it
from the Maryland Province to which it had hitherto
belonged. Father De Theux was appointed Superior, and
Father Van Quickenborne, happy to be relieved of author-
ity, left at once for the west to consecrate his remaining
years to the conversion of the Indian tribes. In conjunc-
tion with these changes, the Provincial sent to St. Louis
from Georgetown three other Belgians, one of whom was
Father James Van de Velde, the future Bishop of Natchez. 6
Every year saw an increase in the number of scholars
attending the college and eventually it became necessary
to add a new building to the original group. On December
28, 1832, the State of Missouri bestowed upon the college
the title and charter of a University, where letters, science,
medicine, law, and theology 7 were taught, and from that
time on the establishment became one of the leading intel-
lectual centers of the United States.

The success achieved by the Fathers was not confined to
the activities of the class-room alone; they became equally
celebrated as preachers. Being without a church of their
own, the pulpit at the cathedral was offered to thorn every
Sunday, and to the congregations gathering there they
preached sometimes in French and sometimes in English.
The Protestants were not slow in denouncing the "papist
invasion of the Mississippi valley/' and, as it wore, to
offset this, the Jesuits added the apostolate of the pen
to that of the spoken word, by taking over the direction
of ''The Shepherd of the Valley," a newspaper founded
by Bishop Rosati. 8 This organ defended Catholicism

6 Arriving in America with Father Ncrinckx in 1817, Father Van ex* \YMe
soon became famous as an orator and a distinguished humanist.

7 The courses of law and medicine were given by outsi<U* iirttft > t&;t<r,

8 Father Verhacgen, justly proud of his work, gives th benefactors ,f
the mission an account of the things achieved: "We Belgians*, who <*;ime here
Ignorant of English, now write in this language antl have succctrtU't! in reach-
ing Protestants, who read our paper eagerly* They find in it the tntth
they boast of seeking, and are finally convinced. It has an inumwt* circu-
lation, and accomplishes much good. Thus we not only labor fc form thv-
hearts of our pupils, who will revive piety in their own honus, but from inir

THE ST. LOUIS COLLEGE 61

against Protestant attacks, and brought about many
conversions.

Fanatical religious opposition was, however, the least
of the trials that beset the missionaries at this time. A
great disaster fell upon the community in the shape of a
terrific cyclone that devastated the valley of the Mississippi.
The college was all but demolished, the pupils and the pro-
fessors barely escaping with their lives. Then came an
epidemic of cholera, that claimed more than two hundred
victims a day, and forced the institution to close its doors
for three months. Three of the professors broke down in
health from overwork brought about by these conditions,
and their classes had to be cared for by the other already
overburdened teachers. "But," writes the Rector, "in spite
of all these difficulties that confront us daily we walk erecto
capite." 9

The limitations and embarrassments of poverty were,
perhaps, not less difficult to bear than the other misfor-
tunes. 10 Father De Smet, as Procurator, bore the brunt
of the impoverished exchequer. "You will be surprised/'
he writes to his sister, "that I am Father Procurator, that
is, steward of the college I, who in Flanders could not
keep a penny in my pocket ! I am general purchaser, and
it is no easy task, especially in this college, with money
as scarce as it is. My cash-box is as empty and smooth
as the palm of my hand, and yet from every side I am be-
sieged for this thing and that, and, lacking the means to
satisfy these demands, am called stingy." 11 Nor did
poverty and want settle themselves upon the Jesuits only
in St. Louis; Father De Theux had great difficulty in se-
curing sufficient means to feed the novices, and Father

college we preach, so to speak, to every part of the West." (Letter to Mr.
De Nef, May 26, 1833.)

fl Letter to Mr. De Nef, May 26, 1833.

10 In alluding to the title of University recently bestowed upon the college,
Father Verhaegen wrote: "In according us the distinction bestowed on no
other institution in Missouri, the Legislature gives public and unequivocal
proof of the importance of our institution, and the esteem in which it is held.
But it is a title without endowment, and one, moreover, that imposes upon
us the necessity of proving ourselves worthy of the esteem we enjoy. The
day school being free, the revenues from the boarders, which must meet the
running expenses of the house, are insufficient to permit us to extend our
work, a'nd accomplish all the good we could do in our position." (Letter
cited.) u May 9, 1832.

62 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Kenny, after sojourning at the mission as a visitor, tells
us that the houses at Florissant and at St. Charles were
"miserably poor." 12

The Catholics of Missouri, for the most part of Canadian
and Irish origin, had already made such great sacrifices to
build the college that nothing more could be asked of them.
Money was an absolute necessity. Additional missionaries
were also needed, and these considerations, in conjunction
with the fact that the Fathers were anxious to have their
Missouri Province united with the Belgian Province of
the Society, moved them to make an appeal to Belgium.
Father De Smet was chosen for this mission. The priva-
tions he had suffered at Florissant, and his unremitting
labor in St. Louis, had begun to tell on his robust consti-
tution, so that, even had the dire needs of his community
not required him to take this journey, his health would
have demanded some such relaxation.

Father De Smet left St. Louis toward the end of Sep-
tember, 1833, and spent some time en route at Georgetoxvn.
The second Council of Baltimore was abotit to take place,
and as the question of the Indian Missions would come
before it, he wished to know the result of its deliberations
before sailing. The Council advocated the policy of
officially confiding this field of missionary work to the
Jesuits, and, in the hope of soon being able to take up his
ministrations to the Indians, he left at once to plead
their cause with his compatriots.

He landed at Havre in the winter of 1834, going nt once
to see Father Van Lil, the Belgian Provincial residing
then at Ghent. From there he wrote to his brother
Charles: " After this long absence I am pining to sec you
and embrace you. For three years I have had no news of
my family: please, I beg you, tell me all that has happened
and all about each one. Where is my dear brother Francis,
and where are my dear sisters Rosalie and Jeannette?
and tell me if my sisters Rollier and Thercsc are in good
health, etc." 18 A few days later he arrived in Termonde,
and after an absence of fourteen years beheld again his

18 Letter to Mr* De Ne, Nov. 7,
Ghent, Oost-Eecloo, Jan. 6, 1834.

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 63

old home and the places that had witnessed his childish
feats of valor. The father's chair by the fireside was
vacant, but, despite this sorrow, he had much cause for
rejoicing, for he was united to his brothers and sisters by
ties of the tenderest affection. Although his eldest sister
Rosalie had married Charles Van Mossevelde, the younger
children still called her "mother." Charles and Francis
occupied honorable positions in the magistracy, and the
other members of the family were equally prosperous and
happy. God had blessed their marriages, and charming
children smiled from the cradle and climbed upon Uncle
Peter's knee. The gladness of home-coming did not,
however, render the missionary oblivious of his adopted
family beyond the seas, and after a few days' rest he set
out upon his journey through Belgium.

Father De Smet's first visits were to the parents of his
associates to bring them news of the absent ones in Amer-
ica. He told them of their labors and successes, and
made them appreciate the honor of having a son or a
brother among the apostles of the New World. He then
sought out the benefactors, to give them an account of the
progress made by the missionaries in Missouri. To Mr.
Peter De Nef of Turnhout, more than to any one else, did
the missionaries owe a debt of gratitude. Concerning this
worthy man a word is not out of place.

He was born in 1774 of a humble family of farmers,
and after a brilliant school career entered upon commercial
life. His business prospered beyond his most sanguine
hopes, and he was moved to devote his fortune to the
cause of religion and good works. Seeing the clergy
decimated by the Revolution, he opened a school in his own
house in which young men could be prepared for the
priesthood and the missionary field. Instruction was free,
Mr. De Nef himself teaching some of the classes. So great
was the success of his undertaking that, eventually, he had
to provide enlarged accommodations for the institution. 14
The school gave a complete course in the humanities, and
in 1830 numbered one hundred and eighty pupils.

M The school was transferred to Rue d'Herenthals, and later became the
well-known college now under the direction of the Fathers of the Society
of Jesus*

64 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ,

By reason of the fact that he was appointed Commis-
sioner of the district of Turnhout, also member of Congress
and later on Deputy of the House of Representatives,
Mr. De Nef was compelled to give up his classes. He con-
fided them to the priests of the diocese of Mechlin, reserv-
ing to himself the management of the institution. The
assumption of these distinguished offices did not, however,
prevent this intrepid worker from carrying on the active
management of a linen textile factory and a large wine
business. These prosperous and varied industries enabled
him to maintain the college, clothe and feed poor students,
and endow the missions in a generous way. "For the
benefit of the missions," he writes to Father De Theux,
"I have formed an association with my honorable friends,
Messrs. De Boey, Le Paige, and Proost, of Antwerp, the
object of which is to invest in the securities of different
countries. Should any losses result they are to be assumed
by us entirely, but a large portion of any profits that may
accrue is to be given to our beloved missions. 7 ' 15

Not content with furnishing the money, this extraor-
dinary benefactor provided even the men. Over five
hundred priests received their first instructions in his
establishment, and among this number many consecrated
their lives to the missions and became brave and inde-
fatigable workers in the United States. The Superiors
of the Society of Jesus left to "Father" De Nef, as he was
called, the choosing of those who were to be sent to the
American Missions. In addition to his regular pupils he
often accepted seminarists and priests from Holland as>
well as Belgium, and not infrequently he undertook to
furnish lay Brothers to the missions. 16 Father De Smet's

16 Turnhout, Aug. 23, 1832.

To one of his friends who had sent him a generous donation for his enter-
prise he replied: "I rejoice in the Lord for the good use you make of your
fortune. As for myself, I am persuaded that I would fail in my first duty, if,
in my position, I did not do all in my power to further the cause of our holy
religion. Unhappy would I be if I did not obey the voice of God, and,
unmindful of the honor, should refuse to be His instrument- Should I fail
in this respect, I would forever reproach myself for my cowardly negli-
gence." (To Chevalier de Donnea de Grand Aaz, March 27, 1830.)

16 Never was he so happy as when he could announce the arrival of
new recruits. "Following the instructions given to me by your predeces-
sors, " he writes to Father De Theux, "I have admitted several young men
who will be received into the Society of Jesus in America. I know their

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 65

account of the use that had been made of the generous,
donations was very gratifying to Mr. De Nef . He gave
the good priest a large sum of money and promised to
send priests for the extension of the work in Missouri.

Following these first visits, which were made through
motives of kindness and a sense of obligation, Father De
Smet set out upon the unpleasant task of begging. He
was most cordially received by the Archbishop of Mechlin.
"I have obtained," he writes, "many things for the mis-
sions, among others a silver gilt chalice and two pictures.
Several people are collecting books, vestments, and such
articles as are needed for the altar. " 17

At Louvain he met his friend and colleague, the Abbe De
Ram, who, although but thirty years of age, was then the
rector of the Catholic University. From Lige he writes:
1 f I have succeeded very well here. " 18 Bishop Van Bommel
had not forgotten the services rendered to the diocese by
the Superior in Missouri, and had given generously to the
mission. Madam De Theux also was instrumental in inter-
esting a number of people in the work over which her son
presided.

Father De Smet's next move was to Namur, from where
he reports: "I have visited more than fifty families and
have been most successful. I shall proceed next to Mons,
then to Tournai, and on to Brussels." 19 In a letter written
to his brother from Nivelles, he says: "When I left Ter-
monde I thought I could easily canvass Belgium and com-
plete my business in a fortnight, but here I am, after six
weeks of traveling, with only about a fourth of my work
accomplished. I hope, however, to be able to spend a
few days with you and to rest from my travels. I am
more fatigued now than I was after my voyage from
America." 20

sterling qualities, and have been struck with the fortitude which they have
shown in abandoning parents, friends, country, and a life of ease, to face
every kind of hardship and privation with the sole object of winning men to'
God. I rejoice in sending them to you, and I am confident that our poor
Americans and Indians will find in them support and consolation. We
lose them now only to find them again in heaven, surrounded by blessed
souls saved through their labors." (Letter, Oct. 16, 1833.)

17 Letter to Francis De Smet, Louvain, Feb. 27, 1834.

18 Liege, March 9, 1834.

19 Namur, March I4th. 20 March 24th.

66 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

When writing, later on, to his brother, he tells us how his
trials and labors were now and then rewarded by some
unlooked-for piece of good fortune : "I expected to be with
you before Easter, but Providence intervened to prevent it.
An affair of small importance that could be settled in an
hour called me to Enghien. There, by chance, I met a
certain priest, and in conversation we got around to the
subject of books. He pointed out a house where he thought
I could procure some, and when we called to broach the
subject I received a donation of nothing less than the entire
library: Baronius in 22 volumes in folio; The Bollandists
in 40 volumes, all the Councils, Moreri's large dictionary,
a history of the Church, a large number of the Fathers of
the Church, and several other works/' 21 The books
were piled into the diligence and brought to Brussels that
same evening, and in a few months were adorning the
shelves of the library in St. Louis.

Upon leaving Brussels Father De Smet visited succes-
sively Erps-Querbs, Aerschot, Montaigu, Diest, Santhoven,
and Antwerp, all of which responded to his call for aid, the
last-named city giving more than six hundred dollars.
From Antwerp Father De Smet went to France by way of
Lille and Arras. A gentleman from Bruges traveling in the
same carriage with him offered to pay the expenses of his
journey if he would go as far as Paris. The good priest
did not accept the offer, however, as his desire to be with
his family outweighed the attractions of the great capital.
His longing to see Amiens did, nevertheless, cause him to
visit that place and call at the college of St. Acheul, the
institution which the Jesuits were forced to leave after the
Ordinance of 1828. There again he came across an oppor-
tunity to acquire something valuable for the St. Louis
College; "I have bought," he writes, "a complete physical
science cabinet, including a collection of minerals, for
3,500 francs [$700], the original price of which was more
than 15,000 francs [$3,ooo]." 22
His return to Belgium was by way of Courtrai, and the

21 To Francis De Smet, Brussels, March 31, 1834.
It is probable that these books came from the convent of the Augustinians
at Enghien.
23 Amiens, May 22d.

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 67

liot weather and the long journey exhausted his strength.
He was taken with a fever and, upon the advice of the
Provincial, wrote to Father De Theux for permission to
remain some time longer with his family. Rest with
him did not mean idleness. He exchanged many letters
with Father Van Lil relative to putting the missions under
the direction of the Belgian Province. "It is," he says,
"the consensus of opinion, among those familiar with the
situation, that this is the most certain way to assure the
future of the mission." This idea, however, was carried
out only after a fashion. The Belgian Province, which
counted only one hundred and fifty religious, was barely
able to support itself, and the mission was to continue
tinder the direction of the General, the Belgians being
pledged, as it were, to assist with money, and to send to
St. Louis any young men who manifested a desire to go to
foreign missions.

Summer, meanwhile, was drawing to a close. Father
De Smet's health was not yet reestablished, and Father
Van Lil insisted that he remain longer, but the missionary,
in his desire to take up his labors in America, disregarded
these considerations and decided to start. His party was
made up of the five young men promised by Mr. De Nef ,
among whom were Peter Verheyden of Termonde and
Charles Huet of Courtrai, his future companions in the
Rocky Mountains. The latter part of October saw them
on the way to Antwerp to make preparations for the
voyage. Their baggage numbered some fifty boxes and
chests, the contents of which included sacred vessels,
vestments, pictures, books, and instruments of physical
science. In addition to these effects Father De Smet
carried $8,600 in money, a fair return for his ten months
of labor in Belgium.

His family expected he would come back to Termonde to
say farewell, but this hope was dispelled by the following
lines: "Dear brothers and sisters, contrary to my wishes,
you have been informed that the end of my stay is at hand.
Please forgive me for not telling you myself. As to re-
turning to Termonde, it is quite impossible; time is want-
ing. You must pray for me during the voyage and I will
-write at once upon my arrival. A thousand kisses to

68 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

little Charlie. 23 Take good care of him: he will be the
pride of the family. Have courage as for me, I will not
fail." 24

Whatever regrets this hurried departure may have en-
gendered, we are of the opinion that, in his heart, Father
De Smet was relieved at being spared a painful leave-
taking.

The brig Agenoria sailed from Antwerp November ist,
with the missionaries on board. "We embarked," they
wrote, "under the protection of the heavenly court and the
special auspices of the Mother of God. Under her safe
guidance neither wind nor waves can affright us*' 25 an
assurance of protection of which they were to stand in
need to brave the trials that awaited them.

Six days later, while waiting at Deal on the English
coast, Father De Smet wrote his family the following
letter: "I must make an effort to send you a line to tell
you of the dreadful situation I am in. You know already
that we sailed on the feast of All Saints and several days
later left Flushing in our wake. The North Sea was very
stormy, and for three days we were in great danger.
Thank God the brig did not perish, but the rolling and
tossing occasioned me such seasickness that my com-
panions asked the captain to put me ashore at Deal. I
am in bed, attended by two physicians, who leave me
neither night nor day. They give me hope that the
rupture caused by retching can be cured, but only at the
price of great care. My other malady, 26 on account of
which Father Van Lil counseled me to remain in Belgium,
has been greatly aggravated by over-excitement and in-
flammation.

"The captain put in here for two days to await an im-
provement in my condition, but, hearing from the physi-
cians that I would not be able to travel for a fortnight,
or perhaps a month, he squared away this morning, and

23 Charles De Smet, then four years of age, son of Francis De Smet, and
nephew of the missionary.

24 Antwerp, Oct. 30, 1834.

25 To Mr. De Nef, from the harbor of Flushing, Nov. 3, 1834.

26 This was a sort of eczema from which Father De Smet had long bceo a.
sufferer, and it never entirely left him.

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 69

to my great regret left me separated from my companions.
If I continue to improve I shall continue on my journey,
sailing from Liverpool. Should the physicians, however,
advise against it, I will be with you again in a month
from now. This delay is an overwhelming disappoint-
ment, but I resign myself to it, for God has His own designs
in all that happens. Do not be uneasy about me. God
will not abandon me. Three days ago I despaired of
being able to stand on my feet, and I have not yet done
so, it is true, for I still have to be carried, but the hope of
doing this has sprung up anew. I should like to write
you at length, but I am not able to do more now. To-
morrow I will try again. Good-by." 27

The other missionaries continued their voyage under the
guidance of Peter Verheyden. Adverse winds detained the
vessel a month off the coast of Newfoundland, and they
did not reach New York until December 23d, fifty days
after their departure from Belgium.

As soon as his condition permitted, Father De Smet
had himself removed to a neighboring village, one near
Deal, where living was much less expensive. "Thank
God, 77 he wrote, "I am a little better. ... I have had the
good fortune to fall into the hands of an excellent physician.
I am up now and can walk, although with great difficulty. " 28

Three days later he went to London, where he met the
Abb6 John Nerinckx, a brother of the missionary, 29 "That
good priest/ 1 he writes, "procured me comfortable lodgings

27 Deal, Nov. 9, 1834.

The following lines written by Peter Verheyden give us some idea of the
virtue of our missionary:

"I proposed to Father De Smet that I remain and nurse him. He thanked
me, saying that his sorrow would be insupportable if through any fault
of his our enterprise came to naught. He frequently asked us if we were
discouraged by this trial, and if we would persevere in our holy vocation.
We assured him of our ardent desire to work for the glory of God in the land
where he had labored with the sweat of his brow, and which he longed so to
see again. This seemed to calm and reassure him. I wrote to the Provincial
in Belgium to tell him of our affliction and our difficulties. Father De Smet
found two expressions in my letter which offended his humility, and he
wished me to change them, but I must admit that I did not yield to his
importunities." (Extract from a letter of Peter Verheyden to his family,
New York, Dec. 26, 1834.)

24 To Charles De Smet, Nov. n, 1834.

29 The Abb6 John Nerinckx had succeeded the Abbe* Carron, in 1815,
as director of Catholic Works at Somerstown.

70 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

and' a good doctor. He rarely leaves me. The doctor
says I must abandon all idea of returning to America;
that it is a question of life and death. I am on a strict
diet, and he promises me that in eight or ten days I shall
be well enough to journey to Belgium.

"My physical pains are equaled only by my mental
worries. Prom the time I became unable to walk until I
met Father Nerinckx I was in a condition of depression
and complete discouragement. That kind old man, by
his untiring care and goodness, has cheered and consoled
me and I shall never forget him." 30

Father De Smet, with the return of his strength, began
to fret at his detention in Europe: "Did the doctor and
our Fathers in London with whom I stayed not forbid it,
and were my life not in danger, I would go to Liverpool
and endeavor to join my companions in America. I have
done nothing but think of them and sigh for them since I
was taken ill/' 31

. At last, on November 24th, he was permitted to set out
for Belgium. He could not leave London, however, with-
out purchasing presents for "his little friends/' as he
called his nieces and nephews; "I have bought something
for Sylvia and Elmira 32 that will amuse them. I am not
going to tell you now what it is, as I wish the gift to be a
surprise, but it is something beautiful that will give them
pleasure. I have seen many things that would delight
little Charles, but they are too cumbersome to carry with
me. It will cheer me if I can leave to-morrow. I would
like so much to bring him a magic lantern/' 33

Thus the invalid forgot his sufferings in thinking of the
happiness of others. His simple and upright soul felt
greatly drawn to children. At Florissant he consecrated
to them the first labors of his apostolate, and to the end of
his life children brightened and solaced the fatigues of his
missionary labors.

Upon his return to Belgium Father De Smet was con-
demned to a long convalescence. The physician gave him

30 To Francis De Smet, from London, Nov. 14, 1834*

31 To Charles De Smet, from London, Nov. 23, 1834,

82 Daughters of Charles De Smet.

83 To Charles De Smet, from London, Nov. 24, 1834.

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 71

no hope of being able to return to America, and the idea
of becoming a charge upon the Society rankled within him.
While in London he had thought of becoming a secular
priest in the diocese of Ghent, and he had even approached
his Superior concerning the matter.

Would it not have been better to ask to be received into
the Belgian community and remain in the Society? As-
suredly he would have been well received, but Father De
Smet was a born missionary, and his training in Missouri
had ill-prepaVed him for the ministry of parochial teaching
and preaching. Prematurely aged by illness, and feeling
that at thirty-four years his career had been blighted, our
missionary succumbed to utter discouragement.

On May 8, 1835, permission was granted to Father De
Smet to sever his connection with the Society of Jesus, 34
and also immediately afterward he abandoned the idea of
becoming a secular priest at Ghent. Although his health
debarred him from undertaking regular work, Father
De Smet had no wish to remain idle, and so offered his
services to the Orphanage, and to the Carmelites of Ter-
monde, as well.

The religious in charge of the Orphanage, knowing
Father De Smet to be an experienced administrator, ac-
cepted gladly the offer of his services, confiding to him
their books and the management of their business affairs.
That he faithfully and conscientiously discharged this
duty for nearly two years is fully attested by the books of
the community.

To the daughters of St. Teresa, Father De Smet ren-
dered stiU greater services. The Bishop of Ghent appointed
him spiritual director of the Carmelites, with faculties for
preaching and hearing confession. For some time past,
these nuns, with the approval of their Mother Provincial,
had been nurturing the idea of restoring the ancient
Carmel of Alost which had been suppressed in the time of
Joseph II. The Prioress opened the question with Father
De Smet, and he gave his approval to the project and
promised his assistance.

34 The archives of the Society show "ill -health" as the sole reason for
his withdrawal: Petrus De Smet, scholastics sacerdos, dimissus 8 maii,
1835, Gandavi, ob valetttdinem. Posted reassumptus.

7 2 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Father De Smet, accompanied by another Jesuit, Father
Peter De Vos, went to Alost to look about for a building for
the Order. The old convent of the Annonciades, although
mutilated by numerous changes, could be utilized to
shelter the community in the event that nothing better
was to be had, and it was accordingly bought. Hearing
that the Poor Clares intended to establish themselves in
the same city, the Carmelites wished immediate possession
of the property, but owing to the fact that the principal
part of the building was under rental to a schoolmaster
; they could not move in until the incumbent had made due
provision to house his own institution elsewhere. Father
De Smet, in the mean time, through the good offices of some
charitably inclined person, secured an apartment contain-
ing a kitchen and two rooms. One of the rooms served
as a chapel and the other as a dormitory a very hum-
ble beginning, but one in keeping with St. Teresa's first
foundations.

The Carmelites arrived in Alost, August i, 1836. We
read in the accounts of the foundation that "they were
accompanied by Father De Smet, the chosen instrument
of God for the negotiation of the affair. " 35 Poverty dogged
the early footsteps of this enterprise. No furnishings for
the building were to be had, and often no bread. Father
De Smet, aided by the Jesuits, succeeded finally in interest-
ing the people of Alost in the new community. " These
are angels you have in your midst," he said to them,
and from that time on the nuns were recipients of kind-
ness and generosity that endured for more than sixty
years. 36

Missouri and the mission enterprises were, however, a
perennial theme in the mind of Father De Smet, Aided
by Mr. De Nef , he organized in Belgium an aid-association
for the furtherance of the Indian Missions, and on Septem-
ber 23, 1835, he accompanied to Antwerp seven missiona-
ries bound for America. In the hope of further cultivating
missionary vocations, our good priest began a correspond-
ence with the Superiors of the Holland seminaries in

86 Archives of the Carmelites of Alost.

36 Cf. De Potter aM Broeckaert, " Geschiedenis der stad Aalst," Vol.
lii, p. 376.

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 73

Bois-le-Duc and in Breda, and assisted Father Van Lil in
preparing some young men who were to leave in 1836.

Father De Smet's former fellow-missionaries, knowing
the circumstances that compelled him to remain in Bel-
gium, continued to consider him as one of themselves,
especially so in view of the fact that he acted as inter-
mediary between the missionaries and their benefactors. 37
Had the Fathers in St. Louis an affair to transact or a
package to send, it was through Father De Smet that they
communicated with the Belgian Jesuits. 38 Father Ver-
haegen, who succeeded Father De Theux as Superior of the
missions, likewise counted upon Father De Smet to bring
about the much-desired union of Missouri with the Belgian
Province. 89

The missionaries longed for Father De Smet's return 40
and he himself felt that he must go back to them. 41 Grad-
ually his health returned. Being spiritual director of a
community and only of indirect assistance to the missions,
constituted a career that could not for long satisfy his
active and energetic nature. He reproached himself,
moreover, for having left the Society, considering it an act
of weakness, nay, almost a fault. "I could not," he
writes, "find peace and interior satisfaction save in fulfill-
ing my duty." 42 And now was it not his duty to return

37 On Jan. 7, 1836, Father De Theux wrote to Mr. De Nef: "You
sec by Father Verheyden's letter to Father De Smet that I begged him to
tell you all about us and our doings."

38 " Not long ago we sent Father De Smet a box containing petrified wood,
stalactites, crystals, fossils, and shells. I hope our Fathers have received
their share. If, in return, they could send us some Belgian and Swiss curios,
etc., we would be most thankful." (Letter of Father H&ias d'Huddeghem
to his family, St. Louis, Dec. 3, 1835.)

3a "I trust you will do all in your power to further the success of the
affairs I have confided to kind father De Smet. It means in many ways
the happiness of those who labor here in the Lord's vineyard." (Letter of
Father Verhaegen to Mr. De Nef, St. Louis, July 10, 1837.)

40 "Ex litteris recenter Roma acceptis, magno gawLio intelleodmus apud vos
novam pro nobis parari expeditionem. IlUus ducem futurum P. De Smet
xixe speramus." (Letter of Father Verhaegen to Mr. De Nef, St. Louis,
Sept. !7,-i836.)

41 "During the years that Father De Smet directed our community, he
often asked us to pray that God would restore his health and permit him
to return to the Indians." (Letter of Rev; Mother Marie Gonzaga, Prioress
of the 'Carmelites of Termonde, to Father Deynoodt, April's, 1878.)

** To Francis De Smet, New York, Dec. 26, 1837.
6

74 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

to Missouri, beg to be readmitted to the Society of Jesus,
and to take up once more his chosen labors? It was not
possible to join the missionaries who left Belgium in the
autumn of 1836. His weak condition obliged him to
defer his departure to the following year.

Mistrusting his strength to resist the tears and supplica-
tions of his family, Father De Smet again concealed from
them his intention to return to America. He left Ter-
monde in September, 1837, and with four missionaries
remained some time in Paris before embarking from Havre.
Again he suffered a relapse, which once more put to the
test his fortitude and determination to return to the
missions.

Hardly had the missionaries arrived in Paris when he
was taken down with a violent fever, which for eight days
kept him in a very precarious condition. "The eve of
our departure for Havre," writes Arnold Damen, one of
Father De Smet's companions, "he was desperately ilL
Two physicians of note declared that if he sailed he would
not live three days. It was an agonizing decision; both
for us who saw ourselves forced to make a journey of six
thousand miles alone, and for the good Father, consumed
with a desire to return to America. A second time the
Provincial consulted the doctors: again their verdict was
against his departure. Finally they agreed that he might
accompany us as far as Havre. The poor invalid made
that journey with us, lamenting all the time that he could
not join his mission and at last coming to a decision to
return to Belgium.

"Then an inspiration came to us to storm heaven, and
implore the intercession of St. Philomena. Father De
Smet and Father Gleizal, a French priest who accompanied
us, said three Masses for this intention; the others received
holy communion. The Fathers promised nine Masses
and we a novena if the saint obtained for our invalid the
strength to make the crossing.

"The day of departure arrived, and found us without
hope. Father De Smet accompanied us to the boat, said
good-by, and returned to the city. We sailed out of the
harbor, and were already at sea when we saw a little
skiff making for our ship. It was Father De Smet coming

SOJOURN IN EUROPE 75

to join us! Transports of joy dispelled our fears and
anxieties. He alone remained calm his faith had been
rewarded. The seasickness from which Father De Smet
suffered during the voyage was as nothing compared to his
previous sufferings/' 43

When about to leave Europe, Father De Smet announced
his departure to his family: "I am sending you a hurried
line, for I have only a moment. . . . After long and mature
reflection I have decided to make a second trip to Mis-
souri. I hope to hear from you often, and I promise to
give you news of myself. ... A thousand embraces for my
little Charles. I take him with me in my heart. Good-by
for two or three years/* 44

Having sailed from Havre September 26th, the mis-
sionaries landed in New York just a month later to the
day, and an overland journey of three weeks more found
them in St. Louis. They were welcomed in a manner that
compensated for the fatigues and trials which they had
lately undergone. The unmistakable evidences of joy
occasioned by his return manifested to Father De Smet how
greatly he had been missed.

Three days later the new arrivals went to St. Stanislaus*
novitiate, near Florissant. Father Verhaegen, Superior
of the mission at the time, was also Master of Novices,
and on November 2pth he readmitted Father De Smet
into the Society of Jesus.

In the happiness that was now his by virtue of possessing
that which he had sought at the price of many trials and
much suffering, he wished to console his family by explain-
ing his departure: "I hope that the sorrow and vexation
my hasty departure occasioned you has been entirely for-
gotten, and that you will not reproach me for concealing
it from you. I had not -the courage to say good-by.
Whenever I found myself in your midst, I wavered in my
resolutions and my duty to God. The sight of your chil-
dren, of Charles, Sylvia, Elmira, and the little Rosalie
tore my heart, and I rebelled at the thought that I was
about to leave these dear creatures. But God willed it:

44 Account of the voyage sent to Mr. De Nef, Florissant, Dec. 28,

1837-
To Francis De Smet, Havre, Sept. 25, 1837.

76 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

we must submit. He will recompense us for the sacrifices
we make for love of Him. I am waiting impatiently for
news from you, and trust you will not disappoint me.
You have given me too many proofs of your affection
for me ever to doubt it and I hope you will keep me always
in your heart. " 45

43 St. Stanislaus, Dec. 26, 1837.

CHAPTER V

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION (1838-1839)

Progress Made by the Jesuits in Missouri Father Van Quickenborne's
Apostolate to the Indians His Death Fathers De Smet and Verreydt
are Sent to Open a Mission for the Potawatomies at Council Bluffs-
First Journey on the Missouri A Dinner at the Otoes The Disposi-
tion of the Indians Their Conversion will be 4< a Work of God"
The Missionaries' First Successes Loneliness and Privations Father
De Smet Effects a Reconciliation between the Sioux and the Pota-
watomies Whiskey "What Could One Do with Two Thousand
Drunken Indians?" Father De Smet's Journey to St. Louis He is
Replaced at Council Bluffs by Father Christian Hoecken.

CATHER DE SMET, upon his return to Missouri,
I was amazed at the improvements and the progress
that had been made during his absence. In four years
the population of St. Louis had increased from 7,000 to
15,000 inhabitants. The success of the University was
assured. Father Elet, through his wise and intelligent di-
rection, aided by Father Van de Velde's renowned classes,
attracted numerous pupils to the University, many of
them from Louisiana. A library containing several
thousand volumes, a complete physical -science cabinet,
and a chemical laboratory facilitated the work of the
preachers and professors.

Although Florissant and St. Charles were still in dire
need, their hardships had been somewhat ameliorated by
the Belgian contributions. The novitiate had been en-
larged by connecting the Indian college with the main
building. The churches, now vastly improved in con-
struction and decoration, gave a better impression of the
Catholic religion. Copies of Flemish masters covered the
bare walls, and spoke to the missionaries of their far-off
land, recalling to the faithful the touching mysteries of
the lives of our blessed Lord and His holy Mother.

With regard to the Indians, the results that had been

78 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

obtained were satisfactory and consoling. The appeal
of the American Bishops, to confide the Indian Missions
to the Jesuits, had been granted by Rome, and the Fathers
of the Missouri Province would now be the first to prove
themselves worthy of the confidence of the heads of the
Church. Congress had just set apart a territory on the
banks of the Arkansas exclusively for the Indians, where
native tribes scattered throughout the United States
would be united under Government supervision, and upon
this there followed a series of willing or forced migrations,
assembling to the west of Missouri nearly 200,000 Indians.

It was to these tribes that Father Van Quickenborne
consecrated his labors and remaining strength. Having
been relieved of his post of authority at Florissant, he
was free at last to devote himself to a work that had been
the dream of his life, and for the past six years he had
labored for the conversion of the Indians with all the
energy of his ardent nature. To reach the wandering
tribes that were often at war with each other, this intrepid
missionary endured unspeakable fatigues and faced in-
numerable dangers. More than once he owed his life to
the direct intervention of Providence. 1

After making many conversions among the Osages and
the lowas, Father Van Quickenborne went in 1836 to the
Kickapoos, inhabiting that part of Northern Kansas
situated upon the right bank of the Missouri. Father
Christian Hoecken, a Hollander, and three lay Brothers,

1 The Woodstock Letters, Vol. xxiv, p. 37; Vol. xxv, p. 357.

"In the first excursions made by Fathers Van Quickenborne and Christian
Hoecken, they were often lost for days at a time, and would traverse the
immense prairies in every direction in a vain endeavor to discover their where*
abouts. These plains resembled a vast sea; as far as the eye could reach one
beheld nothing but a limitless sketch of green pasture and blue sky: deer,
chamois, and roebuck were plentiful; prairie-chicken and other wild game
abounded. Wolves and bears creeping from their lairs to eat sheep terrified
both man and .beast. But even in such straits they were not abandoned
by divine Providence. At nightfall the Fathers would often throw the reins
on the horse's neck, letting him take his own direction, and before long
would find themselves in sight of some habitation. Once an immense and
strange dog sprang in front of their horses, and, making a path through the
high grass, brought them to the home of a Catholic, where they rested and
were refreshed, and, to their great consolation and that of their host, they
celebrated the Divine Mysteries." (Letter of Father He"lias d'Huddeghem
to his family, St. Louis, Dec. 17, 1836.)

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 79

accompanied him. In a few months he established there a
flourishing mission and was about to go to the neighboring
tribes, when physical exhaustion obliged him to abandon
his work. He retired to Portage des Sioux near Florissant.
As the pastor of a small Christian community, he hoped
(with the help of a lay Brother) to be able to rest and regain
his strength. "But," says Father De Smet, "who could
restrain his ardent zeal?" He began at once to make
plans for the erection of a church; undertook the con-
version of several Protestant families, and was absorbed
in his work when he fell ill with an attack of bilious fever
that carried him off in a few days.

The man of God remained calm and resigned to the end.
He received the Last Sacraments with profound piety,
and fearlessly saw his last hour approach. "Pray for
me," he said to those around him. These were his last
words. He died without a struggle, August 17, i837, 2
having not yet attained his fiftieth year. The young re-
ligious trained by Father Van Quickenborne hastened
to claim their heritage and undertake his work.

Father Verreydt joined Father Hoecken at the Kicka-
poo Mission. These Indians, being unreliable, rebellious
against authority, and, moreover, thieving and addicted
to drink, had disappointed the hopes of the missionaries.
In 1838 they began to leave Missouri in order to lead a
nomad life far from Government supervision. The Fa-
thers, seeing they had very little influence with this tribe,
were rejoiced at receiving a delegation of Potawatomies
who came to ask for a Black Robe for their tribe. This
tribe had recently been brought from Michigan on the

a Selected Letters, 2d Series, p. 183.

4 'You heard some months ago of Father Van Quickenbome's death.
Now comes the news that great favors have been obtained at his tomb.
A Sacred Heart nun at St. Charles, a victim of consumption and given up
by the physicians, went with the other nuns and young pupils to pray at
his grave. After praying fervently they returned in procession, reciting
prayers. The nun (Mme. Eulalie) was instantly cured, and from that time
on enjoyed perfect health.

"The undertaker who had charge of Father Van Quickenborne's funeral
told me, that although the body was kept three days during the excessive
heat of summer, and was transported during the day from the parish of St.
Francis at Portage des Sioux to St. Charles, there was no unpleasant"
odor and it appeared fresher and handsomer than rn life. 11 (Letter of
Father H&ias d'Huddeghem to his family, St. Louis, Dec. 8, 1837.)

8o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

Missouri, near the mouth of the Nebraska River. Their
camp was situated at Council Bluffs, just opposite the
present city of Omaha. Father Verreydt, accompanied
by Brother Mazelli, had previously visited the Pota-
watomies in the summer of 1838 with the idea of establish-
ing a mission among them. 3

Since his return from Belgium Father De Smet occupied
the post of minister at the Florissant novitiate. His
health was now completely restored and with it his former
vigor returned. The object of his life continued to be
the conversion of the Indians.

On January 26, 1838, he wrote to the Carmelites of Ter-
monde: "New priests are to be added to the Potawatomi
Mission, and my Superior, Father Verhaegen, gives me
hope that I will be sent. How happy I would be could I
spend myself for the salvation of so many souls, who are
lost because they have never known truth! My good
Sisters, I beg you to pray for this intention. Implore
the divine Pastor to deign to look upon the most un-
worthy of His servants, who longs to work for His glory.
I tremble when I think of the great qualities an apostolate
to the Indians demands. We must make men before
making Christians, and such work requires unlimited
patience and solid virtue, and you know what I am.
Nevertheless, I am not discouraged. God's strength is
greater than my weakness, and He can bring forth from
stones children of Abraham/' 4

Zeal for the salvation of souls, and profound humility
(God could not resist his supplications) were the dis-
tinguishing traits of our missionary, and a few weeks
later he was appointed to the Potawatomi Mission. Father
De Smet left St. Louis May loth, Father Verreydt and
Brother Mazelli joining him at Leavenworthu In going
up the Missouri he greatly admired the vast river, dotted

3 Father Hoecken remained some time longer, endeavoring to convert
the Kickapoos.

4 If any one fancies that Father De Smet exaggerated, let him read his
letters to Father De Theux: "As for myself, in my opinion, to come to
America to teach in a college or to be a missionary to the whites, is child's
play in comparison to the Indian Mission. I see so many difficulties in this
work that, did I not know that our divine Lord is all-powerful, I should
regard the enterprise as a great folly." (To Mr. De Nef, St. Stanislaus,
July 9, 1835.)

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 81

with its many islands; the villages that rose one above
the other on its banks, the towering rocks, the caves, the
forests, and the immense prairies, all of which lent in-
finite variety to the aspect. But the scenic beauty failed
to render agreeable a journey fraught with many dangers.

" I would rather cross the ocean," he writes, "than ascend
the Missouri River. The current is so swift that in order
to get up the river the boat must be heavily loaded and the
steam at full pressure. Hence, the traveler is in imminent
danger of being shot up into the air by an explosion, and
coming down perhaps in bits. Added to this, we run upon
sand-bars every day a dangerous proceeding. Lastly,
the river bristles with snags which tear a boat open, and.
are the terror of pilots and travelers. More than once
we were in great peril from them." 6

Crowds of Indians came to the landing to greet the
missionaries, and wherever the boat stopped for fuel the
priests went ashore to visit the different villages. The
chief of the lowas, an old pupil of Father De Smet's at
Florissant, wished to keep him with his tribe. An Indian-
convert, eighty-four years of age, prepared himself for
death by confession, shedding, meanwhile, tears of repent-
ance. Everywhere they were most cordially received.

The visit to the Otoes enabled Father De Smet to initiate
himself in the ways of the savage. The following lines 1 ,
give us an idea of his impressions:

"The village is composed of several large mud huts,
each containing about ten families, and several buffalo-hide
tents reeking with vermin. The women slave for the men,
and appear most miserable. Some are blind, others have
only one eye, and all appear extremely dirty. Their dress-
consists of a skirt of deer-skin to the knee, with tunic,
garters, and shoes of the same hide. The whole costume
is greasy and black, as though they had wiped their
hands on it for a century. Both men and women wear
bracelets of polished metal, and five or six strings of"
china or glass beads around the neck.

"I was ushered into the large hut of the chief or king.
The queen placed a cushion of deer-skin shiny with grease
upon a still greasier cane mat, and made me signs to be
5 To Francis De Smet, Council Bluffs, Sept. n, 1838.

82 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

seated. She then presented me with a roughtly-cut wooden
plate which I think had not seen water since it was made,
and served me on it a dish of disgusting appearance, cooked
by herself. Opposite me a dozen wolf-dogs, seated on their
haunches, eyed my plate. They seemed to envy me my
happiness, and showed willingness to aid me in disposing
of the food.

"I was hungry, I admit; but my stomach revolted at
the sight of that mysterious stew. I said to myself, 'No
airs now, you are not in Belgium, begin your apprentice-
ship. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' I took a
spoonful of the mess and found it delicious. It was a
fricassee of buffalo tongue, mixed with bear's grease and
the flour of wild sweet potatoes. I evinced my apprecia-
tion of the princess' hospitality by rubbing my stomach
as a sign of satisfaction, and returned the plate to her
much cleaner than when she gave it to me." 6

The missionaries arrived at the Potawatomi camp
May 3 1 st. Nearly two thousand Indians, painted in
every conceivable way, came to the landing. Father De
Smet and his companions repaired at once to the tent of
the great chief, a half-breed called William Caldwell, re-
nowned for his prowess and his victories over the whites.
The missionaries were cordially received and promised
protection. The chief then offered them three tents
near his. Colonel Kearny, representing the Government,
put an abandoned fort at the disposition of the missionaries.
There they celebrated Mass and assembled the neophytes,
until a wooden church was erected in honor of St. Joseph,
patron of the mission. The Indians at first received them
coldly, 7 but soon the missionaries got into touch with
them, and Father De Smet was then able to discover
their tastes and aptitudes, and the needs of their tribe.

6 To Father Verhaegen, Council Bluffs, June, 1838.

7 "We were far from finding here the four or five hundred fervent Catholics
they told us about in St. Louis. Of the 2,000 Potawatomies that came to
the landing not one of them seemed to know why we had come, and appeared
quite indifferent. Out of thirty half-breed families, only two came to shake
hands with us. Very few had been baptized, and all of them are profoundly
ignorant of the truths of our religion. They do not even know how to make
the Sign of the Cross, nor say the Our Father and Hail Mary, and this ac-
counts, I think, for the great reserve they maintained toward us." (Letter to
Father Verhaegen, June, 1838.)

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 83

"Imagine numerous huts or tents constructed of up-
right poles covered with tree bark, buffalo hides, canvas,
straw, and grass; dreary of aspect, and pitched pell-
mell, with no regard to order or symmetry, and you- have
some idea of an Indian village." 8 In these holes, for
such they are, 3,000 savages lead a miserable existence.
The women do all the rough work, while the men pass
their time in playing cards and smoking the calumet;
their sole occupation being war or hunting.

"For the most part, these Indians are content with a
little dried beef and a pap made of pounded roasted corn.
They are sober, less from virtue than necessity. When
food is plentiful, either at home or abroad, they plunge
their hands into the boiling pot and eat like ravenous
wolves, and when filled, lie down and sleep. Their sole
possessions are a few horses that graze at large on waste
land. At his birth an Indian is enveloped in rags, and
during infancy left under a buffalo hide. He is brought
up in idleness, and abhors work. He has no desire to
change or ameliorate his condition. Any Indian who
would aspire to a greater degree of comfort, or to increase
his fortune through his own efforts, would be the object
of general hatred and jealousy. Moreover, all his posses-
sions would be pillaged and confiscated." 9

And yet the Indians had redeeming qualities: "The
Potawatomies are gentle and peaceful. There is neither
rank nor privilege among them. The chief has no revenue
save that which he procures with his lance, arrow, and
rifle. His horse is his throne. He must be braver than
his subjects; the first to attack, and the last to leave the
field. In the division of spoils, he shares equally with the
others. The greater number of the Indians can converse
intelligently upon things that concern them. They like to
joke and listen to chaff, they never dispute or lose their
temper, and never interrupt any one. If the affair under
discussion is serious, the Indian reflects before speaking,
or defers his reply until the next day. They know no
blasphemous words, and often years pass without an angry
word being spoken. But when drunk and now they

* Letter of Father De Smet to the Father General, Dec. I, 1838.
9 Letter of Father De Smet to Father Verhaegen, June, 1838.

84 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

get drink in large quantities all the good qualities of the
Indian disappear, and he no longer resembles man; one
must flee from him. Their cries and howls are terrible;
they fall upon each other, biting noses and ears, mutilating-
each other in a horrible manner. Since our arrival, four
Otoes and three Potawatomies have been killed in these
drunken orgies." 10

Besides idleness and drunkenness, the missionaries had
to combat prejudice and abolish polygamy and supersti-
tious practices. They had to master a difficult language
and undertake the still more difficult task of trying to>
domesticate men accustomed to a wandering life, who
complained if obliged to stay three months in the same
place.

Father De Smet said: "It is a work of God," and such
indeed it was. He begged earnestly the prayers of his
Superiors and friends. To the Carmelites of Termonde
he wrote: "Here I have been for three months in the
midst of the Indians. If it is your prayers that have
obtained this favor for me, I beg you to ask that I may
have courage, humility, fervor, patience, and the other
virtues which make a good missionary." 11

Success soon crowned his efforts. Before the close of
1838 Father De Smet was able to write: "A great number
of Indians have asked to be instructed. We have opened
a school, but, for the want of a large hut, we can only
receive thirty children. Twice a day instructions are-
given to those preparing for baptism. We have already
administered the Sacrament to one hundred and eighteen
Indians; one hundred and five of this number I had the
consolation of baptizing myself.

"The feast of the Assumption will long be remembered
by the Potawatomies. The church in which Mass was
said was perhaps the poorest in the world. Twelve
neophytes, who three months before had no knowledge
of God's laws, chanted the Mass in a most edifying manner.
Father Verreydt preached upon devotion to the Blessed

10 Letter to the Father General, Dec. I, 1838. (Annals of the Propa-
gation of the Faith, Vol. xi, p. 484.)

11 Nov. 7, 1838.

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 85

"Virgin, I followed with an instruction upon the neces-
sity of baptism. I explained its ceremonies, and then ad-
ministered the Sacrament to twenty adults, among whom
was the wife of the great chief.

" After Mass I blessed four marriages. In the evening
we visited the newly - converted families, who had all
assembled and were thanking God for the graces received
during the day, and now these good people traverse the
country to induce their friends and relatives to be in-
structed and share their happiness. Several Indian
"women, whose relatives, being still pagan, refused to
receive us, dragged themselves a distance of two or three
miles to ask for baptism before dying. " 12

The good dispositions evinced by the Indians encouraged
Father De Smet to exert himself to the utmost in their
behalf. "Often," he writes, "I visited the Indians in their
liuts either as missionary, when they seemed disposed
to listen to me, or in the capacity of a physician to minister
to their sick. When I find a child in danger whose parents
are ill-disposed toward religion, I take out my bottles and
recommend certain medicines. I begin by rubbing the
child with camphor; then taking water, I baptize it before
their unsuspecting eyes, and thus open heaven to the
innocent soul." 13

The shif tlessness and filth of the Indians often occasioned
epidemics; some tribes had as many as a thousand sick,
and at such times the missionaries were dreadfully over-
worked. Each day Father De Smet visited a new village,
carrying remedies and words of encouragement to the
victims of the plague. His charity bore fruit in new
conversions. Writing to his brother, he says: "I have
baptized nearly two hundred Indians, and we now have
three hundred converts. I can truthfully say they are all
fervent Christians. Their greatest happiness is to assist
at daily Mass and instruction, and receive holy com-
munion. Several chiefs and their families have em-
braced the faith. I baptized an old man a hundred and
ten years of age." 14

12 Letter to the Father General, Dec. i, 1838.

13 Letter to the Mother Superior of the Orphanage at Termonde.

14 To Francis De Smet, May 30, 1839.

86 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Protestant ministers tried to compete with the Catholic
priests; but between a salaried official who distributed
tracts to inquisitive members of the tribe, and the mis-
sionary, devoted body and soul to their interests, the
Indians did not hesitate to make a choice. 15 They refused
the most alluring offers from Protestants and came from
all directions to ask for a Black Robe to show them the
way to heaven. 16

One day three chiefs of the Pawnee-Loups came to beg
the Jesuits to visit their tribe. Noticing that the priests
made the Sign of the Cross before eating, they, upon
their return, instituted this practice in all the Indian
villages. This delegation was followed by the chiefs of
the Omahas, accompanied by forty warriors, who, making
' their followers a sign to wait, approached the missionary
and executed the dance of friendship. 17

Father De Smet thanked God for the success that
crowned his labors, and expressed his gratitude to his
Superiors for appointing him to this mission. "We suf-
fer, of course, many privations in this far distant country;
but God will never be outdone in generosity. He rewards a
hundredfold the smallest sacrifices we make for Him, and
if our trials are heavy, our consolations are very great. I
thank God every day for having sent me to this country. 7 ' 3S

The little community at Council Bluffs suffered many
privations. To the fatigues of the ministry was added
the anxiety of providing for their daily existence. Brother

15 "After five years' residence with the Otoes, the Protestant minister
has not yet baptized one person, and the greater part of the Protestant
missionaries who overrun the Indian Territory make no better showing."
(Letter of Father De Smet to Father Verhaegen, June, 1838.)

16 "The Protestant ministers pay the chiefs to come and act as interpreters
in their churches. Some give as much as a hundred dollars, four beeves,
etc." (Letter of Father Helias d'Huddeghem to his family, June 29, 1837.)

17 "They all manifested great affection for us, and invited us to smoke
the pipe of peace with them. Pictures representing Our Lord's passion, and
our explanation of the meaning of the crucifix, seemed to interest them
greatly. They begged me to go at once to baptize their children, presenting
me at the same time with a beautiful beaver skin for a tobacco-pouch. la
return, I gave them rosaries for the children, and presented each one of them
with a copper crucifix. They kissed the crucifixes respectfully, put them
around their necks, and appeared most grateful for the gifts. When leav-
ing, the Indians embraced me most cordially." (Letter to the Father
General, Dec. I, 1838.)

18 Ibid.

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 87

Mazelli, in his capacity of physician and surgeon, was in
constant attendance upon the sick. Fathers Verreydt and
De Smet chopped wood, cooked the meals, and mended their
clothes. The distance from St. Louis, and the difficulty of
communication interfered greatly with obtaining food-sup-
plies. The mission was often without the necessities of life.

In the spring of 1839 their distress was extreme, their
whole nourishment for weeks consisting of acorns and
wild roots. At last, on April 2oth, the provision-boat was
sighted. Father De Smet hurriedly departed with two
carts to get the mission supply. A cruel disappointment
awaited them. At the moment of landing, the boat,
striking a snag, was wrecked. The missionary arrived
in time to see it sink before his eyes. A saw, a plow, a
pair of boots, and some wine were all that was saved.
But even this disaster did not disturb Father De Smet's
habitual serenity. " Providence, " he said, "is still kind
to us. The plow has enabled us to sow a good crop of corn.
Thanks to the saw, we can now build a better house and
enlarge our church, which is too small; and with the boots
I can tramp the prairies and woods without fear of being
bitten by snakes. The wine permits us to offer to God
the sacrifice of the Mass, a happiness we have long been
deprived of. We returned courageously to our acorns and
roots until May soth." 19

Great as may have been the hardships of poverty,
loneliness, however, was still harder to bear. The mis-
sionaries had news from St. Louis only two or three times
a year, and Father De Smet's sensitive nature suffered
cruelly from this isolation. On December 18, 1839, he
wrote to Father Peter De Vos, his friend of Alost, now
Master of Novices in Missouri: "Your letter of last July
reached me the beginning of the month. I had begun to
fear that you also had put off your reply to the Greek
Calendar. Can you believe it? although I have written
numerous letters since June to our Fathers and brothers
who are so dear to me, in reply, I have had, not counting
your letter, exactly five lines. Would that I could hold
the post responsible for this !

"We who are at the end of the world, far from friends
To Francis De Smet, July 30, 1839.

,88 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

and fellow-priests, in the midst of strangers and infidels,
suffering privations, and daily witnessing revolting scenes,
look forward to letters as a real treat. If you only knew
the joy they bring, I am sure every one of you would give
us this consolation and support, for after reading our let-
ters we are fired with renewed zeal."

With equal joy did our missionary receive news of his
relatives and friends in Belgium. "Your long and de-
lightful letter," he writes to his brother, ''enclosing a
little one from my friend Charles, reached me the beginning
-of June. It gave me such pleasure, that I read it over
several times, not wishing to lose a word." 20

To induce his family to write often, he continually gave
them details of his life at Council Bluffs, recounting the
habits and customs of the Indians, and the progress the
mission had made. His open and cheerful letters betray not
only his strength of soul, but his unalterable attachment
to his family. "When I think of what my life was with
you during four years, I often smile at my present condi-
tion. My only shelter is a little hut fourteen feet square,
-constructed of trunks of fallen trees covered with a rough
shingle roof that protects me from neither snow nor rain,
The other night, during a downpour, I was obliged to
-open my umbrella to protect my face from the rain that
fell on it and awakened me. My furniture consists of
a cross, a small table, a bench, and a pile of books. A
piece of meat, or some herbs and wild roots, washed down
by a glass of fresh spring water, is about my only food.
My garden is the immense forest of Chateaubriand, 'old
as the earth which bore it,' bordering the largest river in
the world; the huge prairie resembles a vast sea, where
gazelle, deer, roebuck, buffalo, and the bison graze at large.

"My. gun is my constant companion. One must go
about armed to defend one's life from the red bear and
the starved wolves that prowl about here. Our situation is
rendered even more precarious by the war that is going on
between the Indians. Bands of Otoes, Pawnees, and Sioux
roam in every direction seeking scalps, and every day we
.get fresh news of their atrocities/' 21

20 To Francis De Smet, July 30, 1839.

21 Letter to Francis De Smet, May 30, 1839.

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 89

But in this barbarous community, the missionary de-
vised means of being reminded of the dear ones at
home: " Among the converts was the wife of the great
chief and I named her Rosalie. There were already
many named Francis, Charles, Anthony, Peter, Jeannette,
Marie, Sophie, and Teresa. All those I have baptized
are named after some member of my family and after
friends." 22

Father De Smet became a child again in replying to a
letter from little Charles, his favorite nephew: "When I
walk through the prairies and see the beautiful flowers,
I often say to myself : ' If Charles, Sylvia, Elmira, Clemence,
and little Rosalie were here, what exquisite bouquets
they would make for mother and father ! I have a roebuck
with big horns, a deer, and a tame bear that follows me
everywhere on the prairies and is as quiet and gentle
as your little Fidele. Were you with your uncle and
did your legs get tired, hop ! hop ! you and Sylvia would
be upon the bear's back; and Clemence and Elmira
upon the roebuck! Little Rosalie would mount the little
deer, and we would all trot home together!" 23

Although of a sensitive nature, Father De Smet was in
no sense a weak man. No fatigue disheartened him, no
danger held him back when the interests of the mission
were in question. For two years the Potawatomies lived
in constant apprehension of being attacked by their ter-
rible and threatening neighbors, the Sioux of the Missouri.
Recently two men of their tribe had been massacred, and
the future of the mission was endangered so long as there
was danger of these murderous incursions, which in a few
hours converted a populous settlement into a field of
carnage and death.

The missionary resolved to go to the enemy armed only
with faith; to speak to them in the name of God and ask
for peace. On April 29, 1839, he left the camp and took
passage on a steamboat that was going up the Missouri
River. On board he found two Europeans he had known
in St. Louis, Mr, Nicollet and Mr. Geyer, who were being

22 To Francis De Smet, Sept. u, 1838.
July 30, 1839.

90 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

sent by the Government at Washington upon a scientific
exploration to the Indian country.

Low water, contrary winds, sand-bars, and numerous
snags forced the boat to proceed slowly and with great
caution. Every time it landed for fuel, Father De Smet
accompanied Mr. Geyer in his search for plants and
minerals. "I was proud," he writes, "to be able to en-
rich his herbarium with several specimens that might
have escaped his notice. This study has great attraction
for me, and the hours I have spent tramping over hill
and dale with a friend are among the most agreeable of my
life." 24 Mr. Nicollet, knowing Father De Smet's trust-
worthiness, left him his instruments for measuring heights
and making observations, as they would be of great service
to the missionary in working on his map of Missouri. 25

The conquest of a soul, however, meant more to the
missionary than the greatest discoveries. While aboard
the boat Father De Smet instructed and baptized a mother
and her three children. He also heard the confessions of
many Canadians who were going to the Rocky Mountains.
Twelve days after his departure from Council Bluffs, he
arrived at the mouth of the Vermilion, where the Sioux
were encamped. He parted with his friends with great
regret. Alone, and unarmed, he was going to plead the
cause of the Potawatomies, with an enemy who had sworn
to exterminate them.

Providence, who destined our missionary to be an apostle
of peace in the United States, crowned with success his
first negotiations. Faithful to the law of hospitality, the
Indians accorded him a reception that augured well,
"Upon my arrival," he writes, "the chief and the warriors,
some Yanktons of the Sioux nation, invited me to a feast.
I found them seated in a circle in a large tent made of
buffalo hide, their chins resting on their knees, a position
my corpulence forbade me assume. I seated myself,
crossing my legs tailor fashion. Each one received upon a
wooden plate a huge piece of venison. Those who could

24 To Francis De Smet, May 30, 1839.

25 Cf. Chittenden-Richardson, pp. 1549 and '1552, two letters of Mr.
Nicollet to Father De Smet. One sees how highly the learned geographer
valued the missionary's contributions,

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 91

not consume all their portion were allowed to take away
what was left. This I did, and I found myself with two
days' rations. " 26

The repast finished, the missionary stated the object
of his mission: he had come to conclude a lasting peace
between the Sioux and the Potawatomies. The conditions
of the peace pact were immediately under discussion.
Father De Smet's forceful reasoning and his charm of
manner soon dispelled the grievances that had caused
the separation of the two peoples. The Sioux agreed to
bury the hatchet, and swore to "cover the dead," by
sending presents to the children of their victims, and to
smoke with them the pipe of peace. Profiting by such
dispositions, the missionary spoke to them about religion,
and that evening gave an instruction upon the principal
articles of the Creed. The following day he administered
baptism to a few of the tribe and blessed several marriages.

After sowing the first seeds of faith in this tribe, he
hastened back to Council Bluffs to tell the Potawatomies
of the result of his negotiations. This time his only
means of transportation was a primitive canoe, the trunk of
a tree scooped out in the form of a boat, and in this frail
bark he descended one of the most dangerous rivers in the
world. Happily he had with him two skilled pilots who
knew the whereabouts of the rocks that abound in the
Missouri. The boat shot like an arrow into the current,
covered the immense distance, and brought the missionary
back safe and sound to his dear Potawatomies. No army
had accompanied him, and without combat or bloodshed
he returned victorious, his hands filled with the benedictions
of peace. The Potawatomies greeted him as the father
and saviour of their nation.

But it was far easier to cope with the ferocity of "the
Indian than to uproot his passion for intoxicating liquors.
"The Government," writes Father De Smet, "pays the
Potawatomies $50,000 annually for the land that was
taken from them. With the payment of this money has
come a following of thieves, drunkards, gamblers, coun-
terfeiters; in a word, the dregs of the United States.
26 To the Superior of the Orphanage at Tennonde, July i f 1839.

92 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

They exploit the Indians and furnish them with quantities
of whiskey. 27

"So long as he has a penny the Indian will drink and
gamble. Their passion for drink is so inconceivable one
must see it to believe it: it affects them like the bite of a
tarantula. Instantly their blood is excited and like
fire in their veins; they are mad with thirst for it, and,
obtaining it, clamor for more! more! until, consumed with
'firewater/ they fall down dead drunk. Regaining their
their senses, their first cry is for whiskey! whiskey! whiskey!
as though life and death depended upon getting it.

"Under the influence of liquor their passions lead them
into the grossest excesses, beginning with songs of joy
and ending with howls and screams. Disputes and quar-
rels follow, then stabbing and head -smashing; finally,
murder is the crowning crime of these abominable orgies.
The ground is strewn with the dead, and the living are
horribly mutilated. With a drunken Indian about, no
one is safe, and many times my own life has been in
danger. 1 ' 28

The Government, it is true, prohibited the introduction
of whiskey into the Indian Territory under penalty of the
law, but no agent respected the law, and brandy arrived
in cargoes. 29 Indignant at the breach of the law, Father
De Smet, with one stroke of a hatchet, broke open a cask
destined for the Indians, and, not content with such
measures, he wrote a strong letter to the Government at
Washington denouncing this abuse as being both criminal
and illegal. But apparently little heed was given in high
places to these complaints; and a few unworthy Americans
looked on with satisfaction at the self -destruction of a race
they detested, and the whites, undisturbed, continued
their odious traffic.

After two such orgies the mission seemed doomed.
"What could one do with two thousand drunken Indians?
Where would it end? Who can say? For with the yearly

27 Letter of Father De Smet to Mr. Charles Van Mossevelde, Sept. x8 f
1839.

28 Letter to Francis De Smet, Oct. 29, 1839.

29 One reads with interest Father De Smet's journal from May 10 to
Oct. 15, 1839. Chittenden-Richardson, p, 171-178.

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 93

arrival of the money, the same blackguards would return,
and the same scene be enacted. " 30

But, however dark the future appeared, the missionaries
determined not to desert their post. More than ever did
they endeavor to win these wild natures through kindness.
They had at least the consolation of opening heaven to a
large number of children. "I have often remarked," says
Father De Smet, "that many of the children seem to await
baptism before winging their flight to heaven, for they
die almost immediately after receiving the Sacrament/' 31
Among adults, conversions were becoming more rare; at
times even some of the neophytes fell into habits of vice
that desolated the mission. The greater number, how-
ever, remained faithful; they continued to follow the
instructions, and even became monthly communicants.
The neighboring tribes, especially the Omahas, were
now clamoring for the Black Robes.

Seeing what good he could still accomplish, our mis-
sionary took heart. After writing to Father De Vos, "I
do not dare advise any one to come here," 32 he rejoiced to
hear that many novices wished to share his labors. "My
heart bounded so with joy, that had my arms not been
tightly crossed, I believe it would have burst forth; this
news, I feel sure, has caused equal joy to the angel guar-
dians of our poor Indians. The tribe, for this, assembled
to sing canticles of thanksgiving to the Most High."
Nevertheless, he advises the Master of Novices "to drill
these young soldiers of Christ after the rigorous, methods
of our holy founder, St. Ignatius. Such training will
make them of great service in this country. A rusty gun
or a dull sword is of little use here." 33

In 1840 another famine threatened to increase the
hardships and difficulties of the mission. Provisions were
running low, and the looked-for succor did not arrive.
Father De Smet offered to go himself to St. Louis to get
supplies. He left Council Bluffs February i3th, and in
spite of the state of his health, was quite decided to return
to his dear Indians as soon as possible. The intense cold

* Q Letter to Mr. Charles Van Mossevelde, Sept. 18, 1839.

31 Letter to Father De Vos, Dec. 18, 1839.

33 To Father De Vos, Council Bluffs, Feb. 10, 1840.

94 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

had suspended navigation, so he was obliged to travel
on foot, then on horseback, and at times in a cart, a dis-
tance of nine hundred miles 34 with no other companion
save his guide.

The winter, he tells us, was a severe one. "I suffered
greatly during the journey, often sleeping in the open, in
deep snow, with only two blankets for covering. A bitter
north wind froze my cheeks and one side of my nose.
Droves of famished wolves appeared from time to time
and followed us howling, but as they kept at a safe distance
we were not alarmed.

"The intense cold affected my lungs in such a manner
that I found difficulty in breathing, and feared at one time
that I could not continue my journey. Upon arriving
in St. Louis I was put under the care of a physician I, who
fear American doctors as I do the pest. This one hastened
to employ the entire resources of the apothecary : bleeding
and leeches were the first prescription, then followed baths,
powders, pills, plasters, and every known tisane* sweet,
bitter, hot, cold, and tepid; added to which a strict regime
was ordered. Complete rest quickly restored my health
and I immediately set about getting out of the hands of
the doctor, who would soon have had all the flesh off my
bones." 35

If cheerfulness be a distinct mark of the missionary
temperament, Father De Smet had reason to be thankful
for this gift. Notwithstanding the trials and hardships
of the mission and the silence of his friends which pained
him, he brought a cheerful countenance to every fatigue
and danger. The modest assurance of a heroism which
ignored self was not the least attractive aspect of his
personality.

No sooner was his health reestablished than he began
to make arrangements to rejoin his post. He collected
provisions, clothing, church ornaments, vestments, and
agricultural implements, and was about to start, when he
heard he was to be sent to another mission, and that

84 On the first trips Father De Smet could only roughly calculate distances;
hence there may be some inaccuracies.

* Translator's Note. A mild aqueous infusion possessing nourishing rather
than medicinal properties.

M To the Carmelites of Termonde, Westport, April 27, 1840.

THE POTAWATOMI MISSION 95

Father Christian Hoecken had been appointed to replace
him with the Potawatomies. 36 The two years spent at
Council Bluffs were but years of preparation; the great
work of the missionary was about to begin. In another
theater of action, and into the heart of the American
wilderness, he was to carry the light of the Gospel, and
be known henceforth as the "apostle of the Rocky
Mountains."

36 In September, 1841, Fathers Verreydt and Hoecken left Council Bluffs
for St. Mary's Mission, established two years before at Sugar Creek for
the Potawatomies of Kansas. From there Father Hoecken continued to
visit the tribes on the Upper Missouri.

CHAPTER VI

THE FLATHEADS. FIRST JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS (1840)

The Growing Prosperity of the United States The Indian Situation
Admirable Dispositions of the Flatheads Old Ignatius The Indians
Who Four Times Made a Three-thousand-mile Journey to Obtain the
Black Robes Father De Smet is Sent to the Rocky Mountains to
Prepare the Foundation of a New Mission How One Traveled in
1840 Across the Prairies A Meeting between Father De Smet and the
Flatheads One of Napoleon's Grenadiers A Sojourn in the Camp
of Big Face The Missionary's Joys On the Summit of the Rockies
Sanctus Ignatius Patronus Montium Father De Smet Leaves the
Flatheads Dangers He Encountered in the Yellowstone Triumphant
Reception by the Sioux He Returns to St. Louis.

SINCE the separation of the Colonies from England
the United States had marched steadily on in the
path of progress and prosperity. In fifty years, "this
infant in swaddling-clothes," as spoken of by Joseph De
Maistre, had attained a development only equaled by
that of some of the great European countries. In 1780
the population of the United States numbered 3,000,000;
in 1840 it exceeded 17,000,000, and every year new States
and cities have sprung into existence,

;The pioneer marched ever westward, hewing, with fire
and axe, a path through the virgin forests, and weaving a
trail in the tall grass of the prairies, pitching his tent
wherever he found agricultural land. Before this steady
conquest the wilderness receded, and colonization ad-
vanced at the rate of from twenty-four to thirty miles a
year.

But what became of the Indians, the original possessors
of the American soil? They beheld their domains di-
minishing continually, and numerous tribes driven from the
Eastern country sought refuge on the other side of the
Missouri./ The Indian Territory had just been ceded to

THE FLATHEADS 97

the Indians, and there the Cherokees, the Creeks, the
Chickasaws, the Seminoles, and the Kickapoos, etc., en-
deavored, under the supervision of the Government, to-
lead the life and acquire the habits of the white man.
Other Indians had, like the Potawatomies of Council
Bluffs, abandoned the greater part of their land to the
Americans. They kept for themselves only an independent
settlement called a "reservation," where the Government
undertook to provide for their subsistence, at least for a
limited number of years.

But* the greater number of the redskins continued their
roaming life in the desert, where the white man had not
yet penetrated. Upon the banks of the Upper Missouri,
in the territories of Nebraska, Wyoming, Dakota, and
Montana, lived the great Sioux Nation, divided Into several
tribes. 1

Further north, on the frontier of the British possessions,
roamed the Blackfeet, the Crows, the Assiniboins, and the
Grosventres. Lastly, in the heart of the Rocky Moun-
tains, and in the fertile valleys watered by the tributaries,
of the Columbia River, gathered a large number of smaller
tribes, strangers to the Missouri Indians, and often victims
of their incursions. These were the Flatheads, the Pend
d'Oreilles or Kalispels, the Coeur d'Alnes, the Chaudires,
the Spokanes, the Kootenais, and the Nez Perces.

To these last tribes Father De Smet was henceforth to<
consecrate his ardent zeal and the resources of his great,
ability.

Of all the mountain tribes, the most : interesting were
the Flatheads. 2 Lewis and Clarke, the explorers, sent in
1804 on an expedition to discover the source of the Mis-
souri River, were the first white men to penetrate the
region of the Flatheads. 3 /This tribe numbered scarcely

1 See complete table of the Sioux tribes compiled by Father De Smet..
Selected Letters, ist series, p. 146.

2 The origin of this name is unknown, as well as that of the Nez Percys,,
which is justified neither by their physical formation, nor the practices in
use in their tribe.

Translator's Note: The Flatheads are said to belong to the Sd-lish-an
stock found in Washington, British Columbia, and Montana.

* Cf. "Travels to the Source of the Missouri River," by Captains Lewis-
and Clarke, London, 1814.

98 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

two thousand souls; but if inferior in numbers to many of
the neighboring tribes, they were unsurpassed in bravery
and daring.

A member of that celebrated expedition, in speaking
of the moral degradation in which many of the tribes were
sunk, adds: '-To the honor of the Flatheads who live on
the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, they must
be cited as an exception. This is the only tribe that
" has any idea of chastity." 4 Mr. Cox, who in 1812-1814
traded furs with them, tells us that the Flatheads possessed
nobler qualities than any of the other Western tribes.
They are, he says, honest, obedient to their chiefs, cleanly
in their huts and personal habits, and hold lying in abhor-
rence. Polygamy is almost unknown among them. The
women are excellent wives and mothers, and so celebrated for
their fidelity that the contrary failing is a rare exception. 5

Such a race was ready to receive the Gospel. The
French Jesuits who fell under the tomahawk of the Iroquois
in the seventeenth century, little dreamed that the faith
they had preached and sealed with their blood would one
day be carried beyond the Mississippi to the Rocky Moun-
tains and as far West as the Pacific Coast by the descend-
ants of these same Indians who had treated them with such
barbarity.

Let us here recall this extraordinary evangelization.
Between the years 1812 and 1820 a band of Catholic Iro-
quois left the Caughnawaga Mission near Montreal, and,
crossing the Mississippi valley, directed their steps to
the unknown regions of the West. What could have
been their .object in migrating to the far West? Pos-
sibly, they were unconsciously serving the designs of
Providence in behalf of those who were to become their
brothers by adoption. The chief of the band, Ignatius
La Mousse, had been baptized and married by the
Jesuits and remained for some time in their service.^'

4 Journal of Sergeant Patrick Gass, quoted by Father Palladino, "Indian
and White in the Northwest," p. 4.

6 Cf. PaJladino, op. dt. t pp. 4-8, See Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century
\pf Dishonor, " pp. 377, etc.

6 These details have been taken from a letter of Father Helios d'Hudde-
ghem (July 4, 1836). , We see from it that he conversed for some time at
St. Louis with Ignatius and his children.

THE FLATHEADS 99

The Indians called him Old Ignatius, to distinguish him
from another Iroquois, the Young Ignatius of whom we
will speak later on.

The travelers were so cordially received by the Flatheads
that they decided to remain with them. Ties of marriage
soon strengthened the bonds of friendship, and the new-
comers became members of their people. Beneath his
native ruggedness and rare intelligence, the soul of an
apostle lay hidden in Old Ignatius. His courage and
loyalty acquired for him an influence which he used for the
good of the tribe. He often spoke to the Flatheads of the
Catholic faith, of its beliefs, its prayers, and its ceremonies.
The conclusion of his discourse was always the same ap-
peal: to send for a Black Robe to instruct them and show
them the way to heaven.

The Flatheads listened most attentively, and learned
from him the principal mysteries of the Faith, the great
precepts of Christianity, the Lord's Prayer, the Sign of the
Cross, and other religious practices. Their lives were
regulated by this teaching; they said morning and night
prayers, sanctified Sunday, baptized the dying, and
placed a cross over the graves of their dead.

The Pend d'Oreilles and Nez Percys, tribes friendly to
the Flatheads, were eager to be instructed, and all ardently
longed for the Black Robes. But how to obtain them?
To reach the Montreal and Quebec Missions meant a
journey of over four thousand miles.

Catholic priests, however, finally arrived in Missouri,
and the news reached the mountains, doubtless brought by
merchants who made yearly trips up the river. Old
Ignatius at once assembled the tribe in council, and pro-
posed sending a deputation to St. Louis in search of
a missionary. The proposition was enthusiastically re-
ceived, and four Indians offered to start at once. It was
a bold undertaking. How were they to accomplish a
journey of three thousand miles over high mountains,
broad rivers, and across arid plains and the sands of the
desert? How avoid meeting the Crows and Blackfeet,
mortal enemies of the Flatheads?

The four travelers left their country in the spring of
1831, ready to brave every danger in order to obtain a

ioo THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

priest. 7 It is very probable, however, that they joined a
caravan of merchants who were going East. In the
beginning of October the deputation arrived at St. Louis,
repairing at once to a Catholic church to prostrate them-
selves before Him whom Ignatius had taught them to
adore, praying fervently that their long journey would
not be in vain, and that they might realize their hearts'
desire. The dignified bearing and piety of the Indians
greatly impressed all who met them, but unfortunately no
one could understand their language.

Yet another trial awaited them. Worn out by the
fatigues of a journey that had lasted several months,
two members of the deputation fell ill and died within
a few days. 8 The two surviving Indians set out for the
mountains, but never reached their tribes, nor is it known
whether they, too, succumbed to fatigue, or were massacred.

This expedition, however, was not in vain, for it made
known the existence of the Flatheads, and gained the
interest of the public. Catholic priests were so scarce
at that time that a new mission could not be started. The
Protestants, wishing to profit by this condition, endeavored
on two occasions to get in touch with the Indians. In
1834 the Platheads learned that a band of missionaries
was en route to their tribe, and they concluded it was the
Black Robes with the messengers who had been sent to
fetch them. Great was their disappointment when the
caravan arrived and they beheld not one of their tribe in the
party. The missionaries, moreover, in no way resembled
those the Iroquois had told them about. They were
married and they did not wear either the black robe or the
crucifix, neither did they recite the "big prayer" (the

7 According to Father He"lias d'Huddeghem, the chief of the expedition
was called Martin, and was Ignatius' uncle. He died shortly after arriving
at St. Louis. His companions belonged to the Flatheads and the Nez
Percys.

8 "I was at that time absent from St. Louis/' wrote Bishop Rosati.
" Two of our priests went to see the poor Indians, who seemed delighted
with their visit. They made the Sign of the Cross and other signs connected
with baptism, which Sacrament was administered to them, to their great
satisfaction. A crucifix was given to them which they seized eagerly,
kissing it several times and clinging to it until they died. The bodies were
taken to the church and buried with full Catholic ceremonies/' (Annals
of the Propagation of the Faith, Dec. 31, 1831.)

THE FLATHEADS 101

Mass). These were not the masters they expected.
Realizing that it was useless to remain, the Methodists
left to establish themselves in Oregon. Another attempt
was made a year later by the American Board of Foreign
Missions, with no greater measure of success.

The Flatheads, despairing of seeing again their brothers
that had left the camp four years previously, decided to
send a second deputation to St. Louis. This time Ignatius
offered to go himself. Taking with him his two sons,
whom he wished to have baptized, he left the mountains in
the summer of 1 83 5 . After unspeakable fatigues and hard-
ships the deputation reached St. Louis the beginning of
December. Having been taught French when a child,
Ignatius could explain the object of his journey. A
Belgian Jesuit, Father H61ias d'Huddeghem, heard his
confession and prepared his sons for baptism.

For some time the Fathers in St. Louis had wished to
establish a mission on the other side of the Rocky Moun-
tains, but as the number of priests hardly sufficed for the
work of the college, the Father General could not then
undertake another foundation. Ignatius, nevertheless,
continued to plead for a priest, in the name of the tribes
whose delegate he was. "I consoled him as best I could,"
wrote Father Helias, "assuring him that our 'Black Chief
at Rome would shortly provide for the needs of his people,
and that if permission was given to me, I would start at
once for the mountains. " 9 Bishop Rosati also promised to
send missionaries, and cheered with this hope Ignatius
returned to his country.

Eighteen months passed, and yet no Black Robe ar-
rived. In the summer of 1837 a third deputation started
for St. Louis. It was composed of three Flatheads, one
Nez Perc6, and their chief, Old Ignatius. In traversing
the Sioux country they encountered a band of three hun-
dred warriors. Ignatius, who was dressed as a white man,
might have been spared, as the Sioux thought he belonged
to a caravan of white men returning to St. Louis; but the
valiant old man refused to be separated from his com-
panions. Knowing they were lost, the Flatheads deter-
mined to at least uphold the honor of their tribe. Fifteen
fl To Madam H61ias d'Huddeghem, July 4, 1836.

102 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Sioux entered into combat with them. At last, defeated
and outnumbered, they fell, offering their lives to God for
the salvation of their brothers.

Upon learning this crushing news the poor Indians asked
themselves if they would ever obtain a Catholic priest,
and undaunted, decided to send a fourth deputation to
St. Louis. Two Iroquois who had some knowledge of
French offered to go. One was called Peter Gaudier, the
other, the Young Ignatius. They left in 1839, joining a
party of trappers traveling in the same direction. About
the middle of September the deputation passed the St.
Joseph Mission, at Council Bluffs. They visited the mis-
sion which had been established the year before for the
Potawatomies, and there Father De Smet beheld for the
first time those to whom he would soon begin his apostolate.
"With tears in their eyes they begged me to return with
them. If only my health would permit it, I might have
the luck this time to get further up the Missouri. Should
God deem me worthy of the honor, I would willingly give
my life to help these Indians/' 10

A few weeks later our two travelers arrived at St. Louis.
They made their confessions to one of the Fathers at the
college, then went to the cathedral to hear Mass and receive
holy communion, and there Bishop Rosati confirmed them.
After a long conversation with the Indians the good
Bishop wrote to the General of the Society of Jesus, telling
him of the sterling qualities of these Indians, and re-
counting their efforts of the past eight years to obtain a
Catholic priest. The letter concluded in the following
words: "For the love of God, Most Reverend Father, do
not abandon these souls/' 11 Touched by this earnest ap-
peal, the Father General agreed to send a priest. At last
the Flatheads were to realize their long-deferred desire.
Peter Gaucher started at once to carry the good news to
his tribe, Young Ignatius remaining in St. Louis to act as
guide to the missionary, who would start in the spring.

When Father De Smet heard of the promise made to the
Flatheads he offered at once to go to the Rocky Mountains.

10 Letter to Francis De Smet, Council Bluffs, Oct. 29, 1839.

11 St. Louis, Oct. 20, 1839.

FATHER DE SMfeT, APOSTLE OF THE ROCKIES

THE FLATHEADS 103

Knowing his health was not yet entirely restored after
the hardships of his recent journey, his Superiors for some
time withheld their consent, but finally yielded to his
importunities. 12

At that time there was no question of definitely establish-
ing a mission for the tribe, but simply of studying the
country with this end in view. The missionary, more-
over, entertained no illusions as to the difficulties of the
enterprise: "It is a journey fraught with many dangers,"
he wrote to his brother, "but God, in whom I put my trust,
will, I hope, guide me, for it is for His greater glory that I
undertake it. The salvation of a whole nation is at state.
Pray for me; and have little Charles pray especially for
me every day: talium est regnum c&lorwm, their innocence
makes them friends of God." 13

His Superior had intended giving him an assistant, but
the necessary money was not forthcoming, so he started
alone, with only Young Ignatius as guide. They left St.
Louis March 27, 1840, arriving a few days later at West-
port, 14 the frontier city of Missouri, and the meeting-place
of the merchants en route to the Rocky Mountains. He
here procured horses for his journey, buying seven in all,
one for himself, one for his guide, and five for transporting
baggage and provisions. They were to join a caravan of
about thirty men belonging to the American Fur Company.
Before starting for the great desert, he placed himself
under the protection of the Queen of heaven, and wrote
for the last time to his brothers and sisters. In the firm
belief that he was answering the call of God, he departed
cheerfully and confidently: "God has surely great designs
upon these poor tribes, and I thank Him with my whole
heart for having chosen me for this mission. I fear
nothing, and never in my life have I experienced greater
happiness and tranquillity.** 15

12 "He manifested," writes Father Verhaegen, "such eagerness and ardent
zeal for the work; he possessed, moreover, such remarkable qualities, that
it was hardly possible for us to make another choice. His prudence and
ability assured the successful termination of his journey." (To Francis De
Smet, St. Louis, April 24, 1840.)

13 To Francis De Smet, St. Louis, March 16, 1840.

14 To-day this is Kansas City.

is TO Francis De Smtffc, Westport, April 24, 1840.

io 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The caravan started April soth, going west across arid
plains that were intersected by deep gorges. Soon the
intense heat began to affect them. "When only ten
days out," writes Father De Smet, "I was seized with
an attack of intermittent fever, with the chills which
usually precede such an attack. My friends urged me to
return, but my longing to see the mountain tribes was
stronger than any argument they could offer to deter me
from going.

"I followed the caravan as best as I could, holding my-
self on my horse until my strength was exhausted. They
then laid me upon a cart, where I was jolted about like a
'bale of goods. Often in crossing deep and steep ravines
I was thrown into extraordinary positions; sometimes my
feet shot up in the air, and again I fell between packing-
cases. I would shiver with cold one minute and the next
"be dripping with perspiration, and crimson from the raging
fever. For three days when my fever was at its height
I had only stale, salt water to quench my thirst." 16 On
May 1 8th they reached the Platte or Nebraska River,
"the most marvelous and useless of rivers/' two miles
wide, and in places only from three to six feet deep, which
renders it unnavigable. Hence the caravan was obliged
to continue the journey by land.

Father De Smet appreciated keenly the grandeur and
beauty of the country, and gazed with delight upon the
islands that lay in groups in the river, which from a dis-
tance resembled a flotilla of boats, their sails entwined
with garlands of green and festoons of flowers, 37 Thou-
sands of buffalo ranged the vast prairies, recalling to mind
the flocks of the patriarchs that once covered the moun-
tains in the East.

Then came the desert, with its arid, desolate plains,
where the grass was parched and the rivers and streams
dry; the deer, buffalo, and roebuck sought refuge in the
few oases where life still existed. Piles of stone, steep
peaks, and deep ravines were encountered; and walls of
rock, seemingly unsurmountable, barred their progress.

Father De Smet was greatly interested in meeting bands

16 Narrative addressed to Francis De Smet, St. Louis, Jan, 25,

17 Ibid.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 105

of Indians of different tribes. Formerly these tribes were
in peaceful possession of the prairies, and now they were
being driven back into the forests and gorges. "Some
day this country may be the cradle of a new people, com-
posed of the original savage races, and of adventurers,
fugitives, and the outcasts of society : a heterogeneous and
dangerous population, that the American Union gathers
like a sinister cloud upon its frontiers. The Indian tribes
that are being transported from the country east of the
Mississippi to the solitudes of the West, carry with them an
implacable hatred of the white man, who has unjustly
driven them from the tombs of their fathers and robbed
them of their heritage. Hence their numbers are aug-
mented, and resentment is rife. In time, will not these
tribes assemble in bands to pillage and massacre mounted
upon the fleet-footed horses of the prairie the desert
for the theater of their brigandage, their lives and spoils
sheltered behind inaccessible rocks ?" 18

The future alas! but too well justified his prevision.

After following the right bank of the Nebraska for a
month the missionary reached the Rocky Mountains about
the middle of June. "They are rocks piled upon rocks
and seem the ruins of an entire world, covered with the
shroud of eternal snows." 19 The caravan camped at
Green River, one of the branches of the Colorado. The
Indian and Canadian beaver-hunters assembled there every
year to sell their furs, or exchange them for articles fur-
nished by the white men.

Arriving at Green River June soth, what must have been
Father De Smet's joy when he beheld a group of Flat-
neads approaching. Peter Gaudier had brought back
from St. Louis the news that a Black Robe would soon
come with Young Ignatius. The great chief immediately
dispatched ten warriors to meet the missionary and escort
him to the camp. He himself followed with all his tribe.

"Our meeting," says Father De Smet, "was not that
of strangers, but of friends. They were like children
who, after a long absence, run to meet their father. I wept
for joy in embracing them, and with tears in their eyes they

18 Narrative cited. Cf. W. Irving, "Astoria," Chap.

106 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

welcomed me with tender words, with childlike simplicity.
The Flatheads gave me the news of the tribe, recounting
their almost miraculous preservation in a battle that lasted
five days, in which they killed about fifty of the enemy
without losing a single man. 'We fought like braves/ they
told me, 'sustained by our desire to see you. The Great
Spirit had pity upon us, and helped us to clear of all
danger "the road you must follow. The Blackfeet retired
weeping. It will be some time now before they molest
us again.' Together we thanked God for His protection
and begged for His assistance to the end." 20

But the party had yet to traverse the most difficult and
dangerous part of the way. While the horses were resting
Father De Smet spent several days conversing with the
Indians assembled upon the banks of the Green River.
He saw for the first time the Snakes, who were reduced to
feeding on roots they dug out of the ground, and the
Ampajoots [Yampah Utes?], who were still more impover-
ished. ''The country they inhabit is a veritable moor.
They live in crevices in the rocks and in holes dug in the
earth. These Indians wear no clothing, and their weapons
consist of bow and arrow, and a sharp stick. They wander
over the barren plains searching for ants and grasshoppers,
which they eat; insipid roots and nauseous berries are re-
garded as a feast. Men, whose word I cannot doubt, have
told me that they feed on the dead bodies of their relatives,
and even eat their children. ' ' 21 Such misery appealed to the
heart of our missionary, and he would gladly have stayed
to consecrate his life to those degraded people. He had,
however, the Consolation of baptizing several of the tribe
and giving them a glimpse of eternal joys.

The Nez Percys, the Spokanes, and the Cceur d'Alne$
were more human in their habits and customs. They
inhabited a fertile country and their wealth consisted prin-
cipally of horses, some of the tribes possessing five or six
hundred. All manifested a great desire to have a Black
Robe among them. The Kalispels, or Pend d'Oreilles, re-
sembled the Flatheads in character, language, and habits,
and formed with them one people. Like the latter, they
had led a wandering life, and merely awaited the arrival

20 Narrative cited. * Ibid.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 107

of the missionary to begin the cultivation of the soil, and
to live according to the precepts of the Gospel.

While conversing with the Indians, Father De Smet
took occasion to give some salutary advice to the Canadian
hunters who seemed to him "to have great need of it."
Great was his astonishment to find a compatriot among
them, a Fleming of Ghent. John Baptiste De Velder
had been an old grenadier in Napoleon's army. Taken
prisoner in Spain, he escaped from the English colonies
in an American ship, and for the past years had hunted
beaver in the Rocky Mountains. Enchanted to have found
a Belgian nine thousand miles from his country, he gener-
ously offered to accompany the missionary and serve him
during his journey. He was resolved, he said, to spend
the remainder of his life serving God. John Baptiste had
almost entirely forgotten Flemish, remembering only his
prayers, and a hymn in honor of the Blessed Virgin he
had learned at his mother's knee, and which he recited
daily.

July 3d was a Sunday. Father De Smet offered the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at an altar erected upon elevated
ground and decorated with wild flowers. This was the
first time Mass had been said in the Rocky Mountains.
"I preached in French and English (writes the missionary)
to the American and Canadian hunters, and then through
an interpreter addressed the Flatheads and the Snakes. 221
It was a consoling sight to see this cosmopolitan gathering-
following devoutly the Sacred Mysteries. The Canadians
sang some hymns in French and Latin, while the Indians
chanted in their own tongue. The service was truly
Catholic. The place where the Holy Sacrifice, was offered
has since been called by the trappers, 'The plain of the
Holy Sacrifice/ 7725

The next day the gathering dispersed. Accompanied
by his faithful Fleming and the delegates from the Flat-
heads, Father De Smet continued his journey. After
crossing mountains and rivers, and scaling precipices for
eight days, they arrived at the Indian camp.

The Flatheads, Pend d'Oreilles, and Nez Perc6s, came

* Also Shoshones or Rootdiggers. See Chittenden-Richardson, p. 219.
** Narrative addressed to the Carmelites at Termonde, March 1, 1841

io8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

from a distance of eight hundred miles to meet them, 24
and in their midst Father De Smet tasted the purest joys
of his apostolic life. He himself shall tell us of it.

"The poles were already set up for my tent, and upon
my arrival, men, women, and children, sixteen hundred
souls in all, came to shake hands with me and bid me wel-
come. The old men cried for joy, and the children ex-
pressed gladness by gambols and screams of delight.
These kind Indians conducted me to the tent of the great
chief, a patriarchal person called Big Face, who, sur-
rounded by his council, received me with great cordiality.
'Black Robe, 1 he said, 'welcome to my nation. Our
hearts rejoice, for to-day the Great Spirit has granted our
petition. You have come to a people poor, plain, and sub-
merged in the darkness of ignorance. I have always ex-
horted my children to love the Great Spirit. We know
that all that exists belongs to Him and everything we
have comes from His generous hands. From time to
time kind white men have given us good advice, which
"we have striven to follow. Our ardent desire to be in-
structed in what concerns our salvation has led us on
several occasions to send a deputation of our people to
the great Black Robe [the Bishop] of St. Louis to ask
him to send a priest. Black Robe, speak! We are all
your children. Show us the path we must follow to reach
the place where abides the Great Spirit. Our ears are
open, our hearts will heed your words! Speak, Black
Robe! we will follow the words of your mouth!'

"I then spoke at length to these good people upon the
subject of religion. I told them the object of my mission,
and asked them to give up their wandering life and settle
in a fertile district. All declared themselves ready and
willing to exchange the bow and arrow for the spade and
the plow. I drew up a, set of rules for the religious exercises.
One of the chiefs immediately brought me a bell, and
that first evening it called the Indians to assemble around

24 Father De Smet passed then quite near to "the land of wonders," since
called the National Park of America. But he knew the country only later
from the accounts of another traveler. (See Selected Letters, ist Series,
P. 970

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 109

my tent. After a short instruction, night prayers were
said. Before retiring they sang in admirable harmony
three hymns in praise of the Great Spirit of their own
composition. No words can express how deeply I was
touched.

"The great chief was up every morning at daybreak.
He would mount his horse and make the tour of the camp,
haranguing his people: 'Come/ said he, 'courage, my
children ! Tell Him you love Him, and ask Him to make
you charitable! Courage, the sun is rising. Come, bathe
in the river. Be punctual and at our Father's tent on the
tap of the bell. Be still, open your ears to hear, and your
hearts to retain the words he will speak. 1

"When all were ready I rang the bell for prayers and in-
struction. From the day I arrived until I left the Flat-
heads, their avidity to hear the word of God increased
daily. I preached regularly four times a day, and each
time they ran eagerly to secure good places. Those who
were sick were carried to the sermons.

"The morning after our arrival I began at once to trans-
late the prayers through an interpreter. Fifteen days
later I promised a medal of the Blessed Virgin to the one
who would be the first to recite the Pater, Ave, and Credo,
the Ten Commandments, and the four Acts without a
fault. A chief arose. 'Father/ he said, 'your medal
belongs to me*; and to my great surprise he recited all
the prayers without missing a word. I embraced him,
and made him my catechist. He performed this function
so zealously that in ten days the whole tribe knew their
prayers.

"I had the happiness of regenerating nearly three
hundred Indians in the waters of baptism. They all
begged for the Sacrament, and manifested the best pos-
sible dispositions. But as the absence of the missionary
would be only temporary, I deemed it wiser to put off
the others until the following year, not only with the inten-
tion of giving them an exalted idea of the Sacrament, but
also to try them in regard to the indissolubility of mar-
riage, something quite unknown among the Indian nations
of America.

"Among the adults baptized were two great chiefs, one

i io THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

belonging to the Platheads, the other to the Pend d'Oreilles,
both over eighty years of age. When I exhorted them to
renew their sentiments of contrition for their sins, Walking
Bear (the name of the second) replied: 'In my youth and
even later in life I lived in complete ignorance of good
and evil, and during that time I must often have dis-
pleased God. I sincerely ask for pardon. But when I
fully realized that a thing was sinful I immediately ban-
ished it from my heart. I do not remember ever having
deliberately offended the Great Spirit. 1

"I have never discovered the least vice in these Indians,
save gambling, in which they often risk all they possess.
These games have been abolished by general consent,
since they have learned that they are contrary to the
commandment which says 'Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's goods.' They are scrupulously honest in selling
and buying, and none of them has ever been accused of
stealing. Every article that is found is carried to the tent
of the chief, who proclaims the object and returns it to the
owner.

"Slander is unknown among the women; a lie is con-
sidered especially odious. 'We fear,' they say, 'to offend
the Great Spirit, hence we hold liars in abhorrence.'

"All quarrels and fits of passion are severely punished.
They share one another's sufferings, give help in time of
need, and care for the orphans. They are well-mannered,
gay, and very hospitable; their tent is open house; keys
and locks are unknown. Often I said to myself 'These
are the people that civilized men dare to call barbarians!'

"It is a great error to judge the Indians of the interior
by those of the frontier. These last have learned the vices
of the white men, whose insatiable greed of gain is served
by corrupting the Indian, and whose bad example leads
him into vicious habits." 25

Father De Smet returned to the Platheads in Pierre's
Hole at the foot of the three Tetons. 26 A few days later
they broke camp and started north by slow stages. On

25 Narrative addressed to Francis De Smet.

26 The Teton Mountains are the most interesting, historically and other-
wise, in the United States. The principal summit, the Grand Teton, is
13,691 feet high. Cf. Chittenden-Richardson, p. 228.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS in

July 22d, the caravan attained the ridge which separates
the watersheds of the Missouri from those of the Columbia
River. "I climbed a high mountain," writes the mission-
ary, "in order to more accurately measure the distance of
the source of these two rivers. I saw the stream descending
from dizzy heights, leaping from rock to rock with a
deafening noise. The two large streams are formed at
their source, with scarcely a hundred feet between them. I
wished very much to get to the summit, but a five-hour
climb had exhausted my strength. I reached, I think,
a height of 5,000 feet, and after crossing masses of snow
twenty feet deep I yet was far from the top.

"Constrained to abandon my project, I seated myself
and fell to thinking about the Jesuit Fathers who were
serving the missions on the Mississippi from Council
Bluffs to the Gulf of Mexico. The happy memories these
thoughts awakened moved me to tears of joy. I thanked
God for having deigned to bless the work of His servitors
dispersed in this vast vineyard, and implored this grace
for all the nations of Oregon, the Flatheads and Pend
d'Oreilles in particular, these last who had just enrolled
themselves under the banner of Jesus Christ. Then I
wrote in large letters upon the soft surface of the rock the
following inscription: SANCTUS IGNATIUS PA-
TRONUS MONTIUM. DIE JULII 23, 1840. I said
a Mass of thanksgiving at the foot of this mountain,
surrounded by my Indians, who chanted canticles of
praise to God, and took possession of the country in the
name of our holy founder.*' 27

The following day the travelers marched on the other
side of the mountain, where they came upon a succession
of smiling valleys, arid plateaux, steep hills, and narrow
passes. The end of July found Father De Smet camped
near the junction of the three sources of the Missouri.
Immense herds of buffalo roamed over the plain, and the
Flatheads, profiting by this occasion, replenished their
food-supply*

Father De Smet shared in every way the wandering life
of his Indians, living on roots. and what game could be
found. His bed was a buffalo hide, and, wrapped in a
27 Narrative addressed to Francis De met.

ii2 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

blanket, he slept under the stars; storms and tempests he
braved in a small tent. For four months he suffered from
a fever which, he says: "Seemed loath to leave me; but
the hard life I lead finally enabled me to throw it off, and
since September I am in perfect health." 28

The season was then far advanced, and the missionary
was obliged to start at once in order to reach St. Louis
before the winter set in.

"I decided to leave, 1 ' he tells us, "on August 2?th [1840].
Early in the morning of that day seventeen warriors, the
pick of the two tribes, came with three chiefs to my tent.
The old men in council had selected these braves to act as
my escort through the country of the Blackfeet and the
Crows, the two tribes most at enmity with the white man.
Long before sunrise all the Flatheads had assembled to
say good-by. No word was spoken, but sadness was
written on every countenance. The only thing that con-
soled them was a formal promise to return the following
spring, with a reinforcement of missionaries. Morning
prayers were said amid the tears and sobs of the Indians,
which drew tears from my own eyes, although I endeavored
to control my emotions, trying to make them understand
that my departure was imperative. I exhorted the tribe
to serve the Great Spirit with fervor, and to avoid anything
that might give scandal, dwelling once more upon the
principal truths of our holy religion, and giving them, as
spiritual chief, an intelligent Indian I had myself carefully
instructed. He was to replace me during my absence.
Night and morning and every Sunday they were to recite
prayers in common, and he was to exhort them to the
practice of virtue. I authorized my deputy, furthermore,
to privately baptize the dying and infants in case of need.
With one voice they promised to obey all my injunctions.

"With tears in their eyes the Indians wished me a good
and safe journey. Old Big Face arose and said:

" Black Robe! may the Great Spirit accompany you on
your long and dangerous journey. Morning and night
we will pray that you may safely reach your brothers in
St. Louis, and we will continue to pray thus until you
return to your children of the mountains. When the

28 To Francis De Smet.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

snows of winter will have disappeared from the valleys,
and when the first green of spring begins to appear, our
hearts, which now are so sad, will once more rejoice.
As the meadow grass grows higher and higher, we will go
forth to meet you. Farewell, Black Robe, farewell.'" 29

While the Flatheads were returning to their country upon
the banks of the Clarke, Father De Smet, escorted by the
band of Indian warriors and his devoted compatriot,
traveled in the direction of the Yellowstone. His purpose
was to follow this river to its junction with the Missouri,
and on his way back to St. Louis to visit the forts estab-
lished along the river, where he might possibly find a
goodly number of half-breed children needing to be
baptized.

For days they traveled through endless plains and arid
wastes intersected with deep ravines, where at every step
the enemy might be in hiding. Scouts were sent out in
every direction to reconnoiter, and at night what seemed to
be the least dangerous spot was chosen for encampment.
A small fort hastily constructed with trunks of trees safe-
guarded them from a night attack.

The caravan soon came to a camp of the Crows, a tribe
allied at that time with the Flatheads, and was received
with great cordiality. The tribe's larder being well
provisioned, the time was spent in feasting and rejoicing.
Father De Smet tells us that in one afternoon he assisted
at twenty successive banquets. "Scarcely was I seated
in one tent before I was invited into another one. My
digestion not being as accommodating as that of the
Indians, I contented myself with only tasting their stews,
and for a bit of tobacco, the eaters I had taken the pre-
caution to include in my followers emptied the plates
for me." 30

When about to enter the country of the Blackfeet,
Father De Smet, fearing to expose the faithful Flatheads,
sent back his escort. Alone now, with only his honest

* To Francis De Smet.

10 "The law of the feast was that each one must eat all that was given
to him; however, one could get rid of his plate by giving it to another
guest with a present of tobacco." (Narrative cited.)

ii4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Fleming, he traveled for 'several hundred miles through
the most dangerous country any explorer has ever visited,
a 'trackless land in which his compass was his sole guide.
At every step they saw recent traces of the grizzly bear, that
terror of the wilderness. In many places the travelers
came upon forts that had been constructed by warring
tribes, and behind which the enemy might be hiding.

"Upon awakening one morning/' writes the missionary,
c ' I saw, about a quarter of a mile distant, the smoke of a big
fire, which turned out to be the camp of a party of savages.
Being separated from them by only a point of rock, we
hurriedly saddled our horses and galloped off. That day
we made about fifty miles without stopping, arriving at
camp two hours after sunset. Fearing the savages had
seen our trail and might pursue us, we dared not light a
fire, and went to bed supperless. I rolled myself in my
blanket, lay down on the grass, and recommended my
soul to God. My brave grenadier soon began to snore
like a steam-engine under way, sounding all the notes of
the gamut and ending in a deep sigh which harmonized
with the prelude, while I tossed from one side to the other
and spent a sleepless night.

"The next morning at daybreak we were off. Toward
noon, another alarm. A buffalo had been killed scarcely
two hours before at the place we were then passing; his
tongue, marrow bones, and several other tidbits had
been taken out. Providence provided us with a supper of
what was left. We traveled in an opposite direction
from the Indian tracks, and the following night camped in
the midst of some rocks, once the lair of panthers and
wolves. There, I slept well, undisturbed by my com-
panion's music." 31

Every day, in fact every hour, the travelers beheld signs
of the near presence of the dreaded Blackfeet. "Such
solitude, with its horrors and dangers, has one great ad-
vantage; man is face to face with death and realizes how
completely he is in the hands of God. Hence, it is no
great thing to make to God the sacrifice of a life that
belongs less to one's self than to the first savage who
wishes to take it. In the face of danger one prays more

31 To Francis De Smet.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 115

fervently, and when saved makes better resolutions. In
the desert I made the best retreat of my whole life." 32

At last they reached the Missouri, at a place where
one hour before the enemy had passed. Father De Smet
recounted to one of the chiefs the dangers he had run in
the Yellowstone. "The Great Spirit has His manitous,"
said the Indian, "which He sent to accompany you and put
to flight the enemy that would do you harm." Could
any Christian have translated better the verse of the
Psalm: Angelus snis mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in
omnibus mis tuis?**

The travelers remained several days at Fort Union at
the mouth of the Yellowstone, the most important post
the Fur Company possessed upon the Missouri. Father
De Smet baptized several half-breed children there, and
on September 236. set out again, accompanied by the
traders who were en route to the Aricaras. Three days
later the travelers reached the camps of the Mandans.
At the approach of strangers, the Mandans and the Gros-
ventres rushed out prepared to make trouble, but when
they caught sight of the minister of the Great Spirit,
demonstrations of friendship quickly followed their threats
of death. In every tent or lodge the pots were filled with
good things. Like their neighbors, the Crows, they
wished to feast the new arrivals. A series of invitations
to dine followed, and the feasting was kept up until mid-
night.

The three merchants remained at Fort Clarke. Fort
Pierre was a ten days' journey farther on. Father De
Smet, failing a guide, started off with only John Baptiste
De Velder and a Canadian traveling in the same direction.
"But," says he, "one gradually accustoms one's self to
brave every danger. Confident in God's protection, we
continued our way across the sands of the plains, guided
by our compass, like mariners upon a vast ocean.

"The fifth day found us in the neighborhood of the
Sioux Blackfeet, an offshoot of the Blackfeet of the
mountains. Their very name struck terror into our
hearts. We crept through ravines to be out of range of
the piercing eye of the Indian that ever searches the plain.
32 To Francis De Smet. 3S Ps. xc. 11.

ii6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

" To ward noon a near-by spring invited us to rest and.
make our midday repast. We were congratulating our-
selves upon having escaped the dreaded enemy, when sud-
denly a war-cry, accompanied by deafening noises, sounded
from the direction overlooking our hiding-place. A band of
Blackfeet that had been following our tracks for several
hours, armed with guns, bows and arrows, half-naked,
weirdly daubed with color, descended upon us at full
gallop.

"I immediately rose and extended my hand to the one
who appeared to be chief of the band. 'Why are you.
hiding in a ravine?' he said, 'Are you afraid of us?' 'We
were hungry,' I replied, 'and the spring tempted us to
take a few moments' rest.' The chief eyed me from head
to foot. My cassock and the crucifix I wore on my breast
excited his curiosity. Then addressing the Canadian,
who spoke a little Sioux, he said: 'Never before in my
life have I seen this kind of a man. Who is he, and where
does he come from?' Given such an opportunity, the
Canadian was not backward in according titles. 'This
man,' he replied, 'converses with the Great Spirit. He is
the French Black Robe 3 * and is come here to visit the
different Indian tribes.'

"At these words the savage softened, commanded his-
warriors to lay down their arms, and each one gave me his
hand. I made them a present of a large package of to-
bacco, and immediately the warriors seated themselves in
a circle to smoke the pipe of peace and friendship.

"The chief then invited me to come and spend the night
in his village. Twelve warriors laid an immense buffalo*
hide on the ground before me. The chief took me by the
arm and, conducting me to the hide, bade me sit down.
Understanding nothing of the ceremony, I seated myself,
and imagine my surprise when I saw the twelve Indians-
seize this would-be carpet by its extremities, lift me from
the ground, and, preceded by the chief, carry me in triumph
to the village.

"In an instant every one was out to see the Black Robe.

84 The missionaries who until the end of the eighteenth century evangelized
North America were all French; hence the title French Black Robe,,
given to them by the Indians.

JOURNEY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS u,

I was given the place of honor in the chief's tent, who, sur-
Tounded by forty of his braves, addressed me in the fol-
lowing words: 'Black Robe, this is the happiest day of
our lives, for to-day, for the first time, we see in our midst
a man who is near to the Great Spirit. These are the
principal warriors of my tribe. I have invited them to the
feast I have prepared for you, that they may never forget
the great day/ " 35

It seems strange that with the savages the fact of being
a Catholic priest merited a triumphal reception for the
lowly missionary, while in other times, and to men proud
of their civilization, he would have been the object of
suspicion. During the repast the great chief showered
attentions on his guest, even to giving him a mouthful of
his own food to chew, a refined usage among his tribe.

At night, after the missionary had retired and was about
to fall asleep, he saw the chief who had received him with
so much honor, enter his tent. Brandishing a knife that
gleamed in the light of the torch, he said: "Black Robe,
are you afraid?" The missionary, taking the chief's hand,
placed it on his breast and replied: "See if my heart beats
more rapidly than usual! Why should I be afraid? You
have fed me with your own hands, and I am as safe in
your tent as I would be in my father's house." Flattered
by this reply, the Blackfoot renewed his professions of
friendship; he had wished only to test the confidence of his
.guest.

The next day Father De Smet continued his journey.
The great chief gave him three Indians to accompany him
to Fort Pierre; among them was his own son, whom he
begged the priest to instruct. "I want to know," he said,
"the words the Great Spirit has communicated to us
through you."

From Fort Pierre the missionary went down to Fort
Vermillion, where a bitter sorrow awaited him. The Sioux
had violated the peace concluded the year before with the
Potawatomies. A band of warriors had returned to camp
"bearing a scalp. Father De Smet at once called a council of
the tribe, reproached the chiefs for breaking their word,
menacing them with terrible reprisals if they did not at

85 To Francis De Smet.

TVS THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

once repair the injury done. Thoroughly frightened, the
Sioux entreated him to be once more their interpreter, and
to assure the Potawatomies that they were resolved to-
forever bury the hatchet.

Happy to be the bearer of a message of peace to his
neophytes, Father De Smet wished to start at once.
His horse was exhausted, so with a half-breed Iroquois he
started in a canoe. It was then the middle of November.
The Missouri was filled with floating ice, which continually
jammed the frail skiff against snags. Five times the
travelers nearly perished. The nights were spent on sand-
bars with no nourishment save frozen sweet-potatoes and
a little fresh meat. At last, after traveling ten days, they
reached Council Bluffs. The following night the river
froze over.

Fathers Verreydt and Hoecken were the first priests
Father De Smet had seen since he left St. Louis. "You
can readily imagine my joy in finding myself safe and sound
in the midst of my fellow-priests after a journey of two
thousand leagues, through every conceivable danger, and
among barbarous tribes." In the name of the Sioux he
renewed peace with his beloved Potawatomies. But he
could not tear himself away from his dear Indians and only
at the end of three weeks did he set out to finish his journey
to St. Louis, arriving there New Year's Eve. His journey
had lasted nine months. 36

36 It is very probable that John Baptiste De Velder accompanied Father
De Smet to St. Louis, but from that time on his name no longer appears
in the missionary's narratives.

CHAPTER VII

SECOND JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS ST. MARY'S MISSION

(1841-1842)

Tather De Smet Returns to the Mountains with Fathers Point and Mengar-
ini Difficulties of the JourneyA Cyclone on the Platte Hail,
Majestic Rock! Arrival at Fort Hall The Bitter Root River-
Founding of St. Mary's Mission A New Paraguay The First Bap-
tisms Solemnization of Marriages The Blessed Virgin Appears to a
Child The Order of the Day at the Mission Fervor of the New
Christians The Winter Hunt The First Communion Death of
Big Face.

FATHER DE SMET had promised the Platheads to
return to the Rocky Mountains and bring with him
new missionaries, but lack of funds again stood in the
way of realizing this project, the Fathers not having suf-
ficient means to defray even one-half the expense of the
expedition. And how did our resourceful missionary meet
this situation? "The thought," he writes, "that the un-
dertaking was doomed to failure, and that I could not
keep the promise I had made to the poor Indians, occa-
sioned me keen sorrow and regret. But I had been the
recipient of direct help from on high too often to allow
myself in this instance to yield to discouragement. My
confidence in God remained unshaken. m

Shortly after his arrival in St. Louis, Father De Smet
circulated thousands of pamphlets recounting his life and
experiences among the Indians. Being thus informed of
the admirable dispositions of the Indian tribes, the Catho-
lics east of the Mississippi generously contributed to es-
tablish a mission promising such abundant fruits.

Father De Smet started off on his begging expedition in
midwinter, going first to Louisiana, "I marvel at the
ways of Providence in choosing me as the means of ac-
1 Letter to the editor of the Catholic Herald, May I, 1841.

120 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

complishing His designs. My fondest hopes have been
more than realized, for notwithstanding the critical financial
condition actually existing in the United States, I col-
lected $1,100 in New Orleans. Women brought me their
jewels; even the slaves contributed their mite. 1 ' 2

Fathers Point and Mengarini and three lay Brothers
were appointed to the mission, and returned with Father
De Smet to the Rocky Mountains.

The Superior's choice of men proved a very happy one.
Nicholas Point, born of humble parents at Rocroi, in the
French Ardennes in 1799, early in life manifested great
piety and love of work. Marshal Ney offered to adopt
the lad and give him a career in life; but the youth had
other aims in view. The lives of the Saints, particularly the
life of St. Francis Xavier, revealed to him a higher and
;greater glory than that of arms, and he determined to
become a missionary. Entering the novitiate of Mont-
rouge, it was not long before he was appointed prefect
of studies, filling that office first at St. Acheul, and after-
ward at Fribourg. In 1835 Father Point came to America
and founded a college at Grand Coteau, which he left
three years later in a flourishing condition.

In 1838 the Louisiana Mission in charge of the French
Jesuits was attached to the Missouri Mission, Father
Verhaegen remaining Superior with the title of Vice-
Provincial. Profiting by this circumstance (the union of
the two missions), Father Point begged to be allowed to go
Trith Father De Smet to the Rocky Mountains. 3

Father Gregory Mengarini was born in Rome on the
feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, July 31, 1811. In 1828 he
entered the Society of Jesus and made his course in theology
at the Roman College. One day in the refectory he heard
read a letter from Bishop Rosati, pleading the cause of the
Indians. That letter was, for Mengarini, the call of God.
Immediately after his ordination he started for the missions.
A man of tried virtue and gentle nature ; a skilful physician,
a musician of no mean order, and a remarkable linguist,
such was the new missionary to the Rocky Mountains. 4

4 Letter to Francis De Smet, April 27, 1841.

3 See notice of Father Nicholas Point in The Woodstock Letters, 1882,
p. 299. * Cf. The Woodstock Letters, 1887, p. 93.

SECOND JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS 121

The lay Brothers, not less than the Fathers, rendered
valuable services to the mission, Brother William Claessens
filling the office of carpenter, Brother Specht that of black-
smith, and Charles Huet, general-utility man and "Jack-
of -all-trades." 5 Besides the Fathers and lay Brothers,
Father De Smet engaged three laborers, who under the
direction of the Brothers were to undertake the hard
work of the mission.

The missionaries set out on their journey April 24, 1841,
and at Westport joined a party of sixty travelers, many
of them bound for California in search of gold. "The
caravan," writes Father De Smet, "was composed of a
curious collection of individuals, every country in Europe
being represented: in my little band of eleven were men
of eight different nationalities." 6

Several days were spent in loading the wagons and
mules before the caravan could start. "I hope," writes
the missionary, "that the journey will end well; 'it has
begun badly. One of our wagons was burned on the
steamboat; a horse ran away and was never found; a
second fell ill, which I was obliged to exchange for another
at a loss. Some of the mules took fright and ran off,
leaving their wagons; others, with the wagons, have been
stalled in the mud. We have faced perilous situations in
crossing steep declivities, deep ravines, marshes, and rivers." 7

The missionaries, as in the preceding year, followed the
Nebraska River until reaching the first spurs q the Rocky
Mountains. The immensity of that river and its verdant,
graceful banks, in cheerful contrast to the lugubrious
desert, compelled Father De Smet's admiration. "One
feels himself transported to the dawn of creation, when
the world came forth from the hands of its Maker."

But every now and then a destructive cyclone would
devastate these enchanted shores.

"One day when the wind was spending its fury, we
witnessed at a short distance from us a marvelous spectacle.
A huge, whirling, funnel-shaped cloud appeared in the

5 Brother Claessens of Beerendrecht in the province of Antwerp, Brother
Specht of Alsace, and Brother Huet of Courtrai.

6 Letter to Father Verhaegen, from the banks of the Platte, June 2, 1841.

7 Letter to Father Elet, from Soldier River, May 16, 1841*

9

122 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

heavens, tearing through the air with a deafening noise,
carrying with it every object in its path; while clouds lying
beyond the influence of the wind massed and whirled in
an opposite direction. Had we been in the track of the
cyclone the whole caravan would have been swept into
nothingness. But the Almighty said to the winds, as to
the waves, so far and no further.

"Above us, we saw the storm retreating majestically to
the north, finally spending its force in the bed of the
Platte. Then occurred another upheaval of nature: in
an instant the river was lashed into a foaming torrent,
from which the water rose in the form of a vast horn of
plenty, its sinuous movements resembling a serpent rising
on its tail; trees were uprooted and the land laid waste.
Such violence, however, soon spends itself. Shortly all
was over; the waterspout fell of its own weight as rapidly
as it had risen; the sun came out, nature's forces calmed,
and we continued our journey. " s

Upon nearing the source of the great river, the travelers
found more somber vegetation, rugged hills, and moun-
tains towering into the clouds. Behind those summits
dwelt the tribes destined soon to hear the word of God.
Our missionary, uplifted by this thought, became a poet,
expressing his rapture in the following hymn :

"Oh, no! It is no shadow vain
That greets my sight yon lofty chain
That pierces the eternal blue,
The Rocky Mounts appear in view.

* * I've seen the spotless virgin snow,
Glistening like gems upon their brow,
And o'er yon giant peak now streams
The golden light of day's first beams.

"All hail, majestic Rock! the home
Where many a wanderer yet shall come;
Where God Himself from His own heart,
Shall health and peace and joy impart.

"Father and God! How far above
All human thought Thy wondrous love;
How strange the paths by which Thy hand
Would lead the tribes of this bleak land,
From darkness, crime, and misery,
To live and reign in bliss with Thee!"

'Letter to Father Verhaegen, Sweetwater River, July 14, 1841.

SECOND JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS 123

After resting two days on the shores of the Green River,
the caravan started again in the direction of Fort Hall,
situated on Snake River and north of Salt Lake.

"The crossing of a river, with a retinue such as ours,
was no small affair. Commending ourselves to God, we
ordered the drivers to whip up the mules; the animals
tugged and strained valiantly and gained the other bank.
Our train of wagons then worked its way through a laby-
rinth of valleys and mountains, opening, as we went, a
trail in the depth of a ravine, or through dense brush on
the slope of a steep rock. At this juncture the mules
were taken out and hitched abreast, then every man's
shoulder went to the wheels, and every inch of rope was
requisitioned to steady the convoy on the edge of the
chasm, or keep it from a too rapid descent ! Yet all these
precautions did not save us from many tumbles. Our
Brothers, forced by circumstances to take the reins, would
often find themselves, one on a mule's neck, another on his
hind quarters, and a third under the fore feet of the
animal, not knowing how they got there, and each time
thanking God for a miraculous escape.

"Those on horseback were accorded the same divine
protection. During the journey Father Mengarini was
six times thrown from, his horse, Father Point almost as
often, and once in full gallop I was pitched over my horse's
head; yet none of us had so much as a scratch." 9

At Fort Hall on the feast of the Assumption they met the
advance-guard of the Flatheads, who had traveled over
three hundred miles to come and meet the Black Robes.
Among them was Young Ignatius, Father De Smet's guide
of the previous year. Ignatius had been running for four
days without food or drink in order to be the first to salute
the missionaries.

Simon, the oldest member of the tribe, was also in the
advance-guard. Although so worn with age that even
when seated he leaned upon a cane for support, the ardor
of his youth revived upon hearing of the approach of the
Black Robes. "My children," said he, as he mounted his
horse, "I am one of you; if I succumb on the way our
9 Letter to Father Verhaegen, Fort HaU, Aug. 16, 1841.

i2 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Fathers will know in what cause I die." During the
journey he was often heard to say: "Courage, my children,
remember we go to meet the Black Robes!" Then lashing
their steeds and following their intrepid leader, the caval-
cade covered fifty miles a day.

Father De Smet's heart rejoiced when he found that
the year's interval had in no way diminished the fervor
of the Flatheads. The greater number, even old men and
little children, knew by heart the prayers he had taught
them. Twice on week-days, and three times on Sundays,
during his absence had the tribe assembled to say prayers
in common. The box containing vestments, and the
altar service left in their charge the preceding year, were
carried on high like the Ark of the Covenant each time the
camp moved.

Many of those baptized died saintly deaths. A girl
twelve years of age exclaimed at the moment of death:
"How beautiful! How beautiful! I see the heavens
opening and the Mother of God is calling me to come!"
Then turning to those about her she said: "Heed what
the Black Robes tell you, for they speak the truth; they
will come and in this place erect a house of prayer/*

Enemies of Catholicism vainly endeavored to sow dis-
sension and distrust, by insinuating that the missionaries
had no intention of returning. "You are mistaken," re-
. plied Big Face. "I know our Father; his tongue does not
lie. He said, 'I will return/ and return he will."

The missionaries left the caravan three days after their
arrival at Fort Hall, going north to the Flathead encamp-
ment. One of the braves sent Father De Smet his finest
horse, with strict orders that no one should mount the
steed before it was presented to the Black Robe*

On August 3oth, four months after their departure from
St. Louis, the missionaries arrived at their destination.
"As we approached the camp we saw one courier after
another advancing. A gigantic Indian then appeared,
coming toward us at full gallop. Cries of 'Paul! Paul!*
were heard, and it was in fact Paul [Big Face], so named in
baptism the year before. They thought him absent from
the camp, but he had just returned, wishing himself to
present us to his people. Toward nightfall an affecting

SECOND JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS 125

scene took place. The neophytes men, women, young
men, and children in arms struggled with one another to
be the first to shake hands with us; our hearts were too
full for utterance. It was a great day/' 10

Upon his first visit to the Flatheads, Father De Smet had
urged them to look about for a fertile tract of land where
the tribe could settle. They lived, principally, upon the
fruits of the chase; hence, it was neither feasible nor
possible to suppress this means of subsistence until agri-
cultural development could replace it. Nor did Father
De Smet expect to transform instantly a wandering tribe
into a sedentary people. Hunting, for some time to come,
would have to remain their principal means of subsistence,
but, instead of encampments continually following in the
wake of the roaming buffalo, their movable lodges would be
transformed into fixed abodes, where, after the day's
hunt, the men could join their families and experience the
softening influence of home life. The Indian thus would
be drawn from idleness; he would learn economy, and
unconsciously acquire the habits of civilization.

The proposition was enthusiastically received. The
Flatheads chose a suitable site which the missionaries went
to inspect, at the source of the Clarke River, and beyond
a barren territory. In traversing these arid wastes, the
Indians and missionaries lived on fish for eight days;
but the horses suffered for want of food, not a blade of.
grass being found on that desolate soil. After twice
crossing the ridge of the Rocky Mountains, the caravan
at last entered the valley destined to be the home of this
wandering tribe, and pitched their tents a few miles south
of what is now the town of Missoula,* between Stevens-
ville and Fort Owen. The Bitter Root River, which further
on becomes the Clarke, watered this extraordinarily fertile
region. The richness of the soil, the beauty of the situa-
tion, and the proximity of other tribes decided the mis-
sionaries to make this place the seat of the mission.

It was September 24th, the feast of Our Lady of Mercy,

10 Letter to the Father General, Madison Fort, Aug. 15, 1842.

* Translator's Note: On the main line of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
not far from the town of Missoula, Montana, one may catch a passing
glimpse of a small way-station painted red and bearing the sign " De Smet,"
a sorry monument to the memory of so intrepid a pioneer.

126 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

and that same day Father De Smet erected a cross in the
center of the camp. "I should have liked all who are
zealous Christians to be present at this ceremony: it
was a moving spectacle to see the Flatheads, from the chief
to the youngest child, come to press their lips reverently
upon the emblem of our salvation, and swear upon their
knees to die a thousand deaths rather than abandon their
religion." 11

The solemn inauguration of the mission took place the
first Sunday in October, the feast of Our Lady of the
Rosary. The mission was placed under the patronage of
the Blessed Virgin and called St. Mary's Mission. It was
a solemn moment! The marvels of the primitive Church
were about to be renewed in those mountains. The mis-
sionaries sank on their knees, imploring the help of heaven.
"What can we do," they asked themselves, "to fulfil our
vocation?" being fully convinced that God had especially
chosen them for the conversion of an entire people.

The plan of evangelization adopted by these intrepid
apostles merits more than a passing mention. We find it
outlined in a letter which Father De Smet wrote to his
Superior, Father Verhaegen. 12

"The little nation of the Flatheads appear to us to be a
chosen people, out of which a model tribe can be made;
they will be the kernel of a Christianity that even Paraguay
could not surpass in fervor. 13

"We have greater resources for obtaining such results
than had the Spanish Fathers. Remoteness from corrupt
influences; the Indian's aversion to the other sects; his
horror of idolatry; his liking for the white man, and for

11 To the Father General, Madison Fork, Aug. 15, 1842.

12 St. Mary of the Rocky Mountains, Oct. 26, 1841.

13 The celebrated Reductions of Paraguay were founded upon the right
bank of the Parana River at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Spanish
Jesuits converted the natives, and taught them to till the soil. It was a
sort of theocratic state comprising thirty-two cities inhabited by relatively
40,000 families. In 1767 the Jesuits were driven out of the Spanish posses-
sion and the destruction of the reductions followed. (Cf. "Histoire du
Paraguay," by Father De Charlevoix, 3 Vols. in 4, Paris, 1756.)

Translator's Note: The employment of the word "reduction" in con-
veying the idea of systematized settlement has sprung from the use of the
word as constantly applied to the groups or colonies above referred to in
the historical records of the Jesuit Missions.

ST. MARY'S MISSION 127

the Black Robe in particular, whose name for him is
synonymous with goodness, learning, and piety; the
central position of the mission; sufficient land for several
settlements; fertile soil; the protection of high mountains;
no meddlesome and petty authority conflicting with that of
God and those who represent Him upon earth; no tribute
to pay but our prayers; such are the advantages our mis-
sion enjoys. Furthermore, the Indians are convinced that
without religion there is no happiness either in this life
or in the world to come."

Father De Smet was of the opinion that they could not
do better than model their mission upon the celebrated
reductions of Paraguay. "The end those Fathers had in
view, and the means employed to attain that end, were
approved by the highest authority. Furthermore, the
results obtained called forth the admiration even of our
enemies."

After a careful study of the Muratori 14 Relation,
Father De Smet believed he could develop in the neophytes
the following virtues :

"First, with regard to God: A simple, firm, lively faith in
the practices and precepts of religion. A profound respect
for the only true religion and all that relates to it. Tender
devotion and respect for the Virgin Mary and the saints.
Desire of conversion of others. Fortitude in trials and
suffering.

"With regard to one's neighbor: Respect for authority,
for the aged, and respect for parents. Justice, charity,
and generosity to all men.

11 With regard to one's self: Humility, modesty, discre-
tion, gentleness, pure living, and love of work.'*

But to attain this ideal, the Indians would have to be
kept away from all bad influences. "Here in this place
we are far removed from the corruption of the times, and
from all that the Gospel implies in the term 'the world. 1
A great advantage we must safeguard, by a strict surveil-
lance over all intercourse between the Indians and white
men, extending our watchfulness even to the workmen
we employ."

14 An account of the Missions of Paraguay, translated from the Italian,
Paris, 1754-

128 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

In order to preserve the language of the neophytes, the
missionaries taught them in their mother tongue. The
curriculum of the mission comprised reading, writing,
arithmetic, and singing. "A more advanced course of
teaching, it seems to me, would be prejudicial to the sim-
plicity of these excellent Indians." Exceptions were made
only in favor of those who promised to labor for the propa-
gation of the faith.

"Father Point, our architect, has already drawn plans
for the village, in the center of which will stand a church
one hundred feet long and fifty feet front, with the priests'
house and school adjoining. Around this central point will
be grouped the dwelling-houses, workshops, stores, and
other buildings of common utility, the farming land be-
ginning on the outskirts of the village."

Religious exercises, singing, music, instructions, cate-
chism, administration of the Sacraments, in fact the divi-
sion of labor and the general organization of the congrega-
tion, conformed as closely as possible to the regulations of
the Paraguay Mission. "Such," says Father De Smet,
"are the rules we have drawn up for our community.
We now await their approval or amendment by those who
have God's interests at heart, and who by virtue of their
position of authority receive graces that enable them to
keep alive in us the true spirit of the Society of Jesus."

Hardly had the missionaries arrived at their destination,
when they began the work of construction. Every man
became a laborer. The Flatheads cut thousands of
stakes in the forest and fenced in their property. The
priests' house and farm-house rose as by enchantment.
In less than five weeks a temporary church with "pedi-
ment, colonnade, balustrade, choir, seats, etc.," was erected
in the exact spot designated by the young Indian girl of
whose happy death we have spoken: "The Black Robes
will come to this spot and will build a house of prayer."

On the feast of St. Martin the catechumens assembled
and instructions preparatory to the reception of baptism
were begun. A number of neophytes were to receive the
Sacrament on December 3d, the feast of St. Francis Xavier,
but a series of unfortunate happenings seemed to conspire

ST. MARY'S MISSION 129

to interfere with the ceremony. The interpreter and the
sacristan fell ill; the organ, through some unforeseen ac-
cident, got out of order; a hurricane swept over the valley,
uprooting trees, carrying away three tents, and breaking
the church windows. Happily, however, on the evening
of December 2d the storm ceased.

The Indians were lost in wonder and admiration when
they beheld the decorations and arrangements of the
sanctuary. "Festoons of green covered the walls. Above
the altar, artistically draped, the holy name of Jesus stood
out in relief upon a background of blue sky. A statue of
the Blessed Virgin stood at the end of the choir; an image
of the Sacred Heart adorned the door of the tabernacle.
The flaming torches, the silence of the night, and the
approach of dawn all this moved the hearts and minds
of the Indians already touched by grace, and nowhere, I
think, could be found a similar gathering of elect souls. " 1&

What a joy indeed for the missionaries, this offering to
St. Francis Xavier, on his feast, the spectacle of two
hundred men and women just emerging from barbarism,
replying intelligently to their catechism questions, and
praying with great fervor while receiving the Sacrament of
Baptism; then retiring to their places, each carrying a
lighted candle. Being obliged at times to speak through an
interpreter, the missionaries were in the church from eight
o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night, taking
only one hour for dinner.

The following day was devoted to legalizing marriages.
This occasion proved the neophytes to be profoundly im-
bued with the spirit of Christianity. Up to the present
time many of the Indians had lived in complete ignorance
of the unity and indissolubility of the marriage-bond; but
now having learned to love God above all things, they
generously made Him the sacrifice of their affections the
women rivaling the men in heroism. "I love you dearly/'
said one woman to her husband, a prey to hesitation and
indecision, "and I know you love me; but you also love
another. I am old, she is young. Leave the children
with me and remain with her. In so doing we will please
God, and all will receive baptism."

"Letter to Father Verhaegen, Dec. 30, 1841.

1 30 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Father De Smet, at that time, was absent from the
mission. 16 He returned December 8th and began at once
the preparation of those who had not yet received baptism.
Besides lessons in catechism taught by the other Fathers,
Father De Smet gave three instructions daily to the cate-
chumens, who learned so quickly, and showed such ad-
mirable dispositions, that on Christmas day he admin-
istered baptism to one hundred and fifty souls, and per-
formed thirty-two marriages.

"I began the day by saying Mass at seven o'clock, and
at five in the afternoon I was still in the chapel. The
-emotions my heart then experienced are but poorly ex-
pressed in words.

"The next day I sang a solemn High Mass in thanks-
giving for the favors God had showered upon His people.
Between six and seven hundred converts, counting the
children baptized the previous year, assembled in the
heart of the wilds, where until now the name of God was
unknown, offering the Creator their regenerated hearts
and promising fidelity to Him until death. Such devotion
must be very pleasing in God's sight and will assuredly
call down blessings upon the Flatheads and the neighboring
tribes." 17

The Blessed Virgin now deigned to manifest in a striking
manner how pleasing to her was the simple faith and inno-
cence of her new children. Shortly after midnight Mass
on Christmas eve, the Mother of God appeared in the
tent of a poor woman to a little orphan named Paul.
"His exemplary childhood," writes Father De Smet, "his
piety and candor, and the account he gave of the appari-
tion, preclude all doubt of the truth of his statement.
The following is what he told me in his own words: *Upon
entering John's tent, where I went to ask help with the
prayers I do not yet know, I saw a wonderfully beautiful
person raised above the ground, clad in raiment white as
snow, a star upon her brow and a serpent at her feet;
in her hand she held a fruit I have never seen before, 18

15 See following chapter, his journey to Fort Colville.

17 To Father Verhaegen, Dec. 30, 1841.

18 Would it be temerity to see in this apparition an anticipated declaration
of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception?

ST. MARTS MISSION 131

and from her heart rays of light radiated toward me. I
was frightened at first; then fear vanished, my heart was
warm, my mind clear, and although I cannot say how it
happened, suddenly I knew my prayers.' The child then
told me the same beautiful person had appeared to him
many times in his sleep, and that she told him that it
would please her if the first Flathead village would be
called St. Mary.

"The boy had never seen nor heard tell of visions, nor
did he even know whether the apparition was a man or
woman, as the clothes were unfamiliar to him. Questioned
by several others, he gave the identical description of all
that had happened. The child grew in virtue and was
the angel of the tribe." 19

One can imagine Father De Smet's joy and thankfulness
when he could write his Provincial on December soth:
"The whole Flathead nation has been converted, and
baptism administered to many Kalispels, Nez Percys,
Coeur d'Alnes, Snakes, and Kootenais: other tribes are
asking for us, and a vast country only awaits the arrival
of the missionary to range itself under the banner of
Jesus Christ. This, Reverend Father, is the gift we
offer you at the close of the year 1841."

The newly-born mission became in three months a
flourishing Christian colony, and as it was essential to
keep up, through regular religious practices, the good dis-
positions of the Indians, a rule of life was outlined and
strictly adhered to. The Angelus gave the signal for rising
in the morning; half an hour later morning prayers were
said in common, then followed Mass and instruction.

Everything was done to render these exercises attractive
to the Indians. Father Point, gifted with remarkable
talent for drawing, made highly-colored pictures of the
mysteries of our religion, the history of God's people, and
the life of Jesus Christ; the full, melodious voice of Father
Mengarini intoning hymns which told of the happiness of
a Christian life and the joys of eternity, moved the Indians'

19 Letter to the Father General, Aug. 15, 1842. Father Point relates
the same facts in almost the same words. (Recollections of the Rocky Moun-
tains in The Woodstock Letters, 1883, p. 140.)

1 32 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

hearts to thankfulness for the graces God had poured
forth upon their tribe.

The sick were visited in the morning, the Fathers ad-
ministering remedies and comforting the sufferers with
words of encouragement and counsel. Catechism was
taught at two o'clock in the afternoon, the children being
divided into two categories, according to age and the
amount of instruction already received. The missionaries
adopted the method of teaching and awarding of prizes
in use in the Christian Brothers' schools. Night-prayers-
were said at sundown, followed by an hour's instruction.

The time spent in church seemed all too short to the
Indians: " After prayers said in common," writes Father
De Smet, "the Indians prayed and sang hymns in their
homes; these pious exercises were prolonged often far into
the night, and if awakening during the night they began
again to pray." 20 On Sunday the religious exercises were
protracted and more numerous, but the Fathers knew that
these humble souls found happiness in speaking to their
celestial Father, and that no place was so attractive to them
as the house of God. "Sunday, the day of rest, was
religiously observed, and even before the coming of the
missionaries a timid deer could have stayed among the
people in perfect safety, even when the Indians were starv-
ing for food. To shoot an arrow from his bow on Sunday
was as great an enormity in the eyes of the Indian as gather-
ing wood was to the Jews. But, as the former has a better
understanding of the law of grace, he is less slave to the
letter which kills, although no less faithful to the spirit." 21

In dealing with such Christians, one could ask more of
them than the ordinary practices of religion, hence a few
months after the founding of the mission, pious associations
were formed. The inhabitants of the village were divided
into four groups, each group having its separate rules, its
officers, and its meeting-days.

The congregation of men was called the Society of the
Sacred Heart. The Prefect, an Indian called Victor, was,

" To the Carmelites of Termonde, Oct. 28, 1841.

M See in the accounts of St. Mary's Mission the interesting Memoires of
Father Mengarini, published in The Woodstock Letters, November, 1888,
February and June, 1889.

ST. MARY'S MISSION 133

after the death of Big Pace, raised to the dignity of chief.
In the opinion of all, "he had the best head and the
kindest heart in the village." His wife, Agnes, was elected
President of the Society of the Blessed Virgin. His son
became President of the Young Men's Society, and his
daughter acted in the same capacity for the young girls.

Grace working in the souls of the new converts moved
them to perform acts of heroic virtue. Peter, chief of the
Pend d'Oreilles, 22 having on one occasion to defend his
family from the attacks of a Blackfoot outlaw, afterward
threw himself on his knees and prayed for his enemy.
" Great Spirit," he prayed, "You know why I killed the
Blackfoot. It was not revenge; it was necessary to make
an example of this man, that others of his tribe may take
warning. I entreat You to be merciful to him in the other
life. We willingly pardon him the evil he wished to do
us, and to prove that I speak the truth, I will cover him
with my cloak."

What a victory over self, in a man whose supreme joy,
before his conversion, had been to revenge himself upon
his enemy with all the refinements of cruelty!

Twice a year some of the Platheads left the village to
hunt buffalo. Not wishing to leave before receiving bap-
tism, the Indians remained at St. Mary's as long as a morsel
of food was left to eat, and even the dogs, driven by famine,
devoured the leather straps which tethered the horses at
night. The departure for the winter's hunt took place
December apth, and the expedition prepared for an ab-
sence of several months. Father Point accompanied the
wandering camp, not wishing to leave a part of the tribe
so long without spiritual help, and because his presence
would prevent the reorders the hunt usually occasioned.

The winter was a severe one. It snowed without inter-
ruption for three months. Many of the Indians were
attacked by snow-blindness, and during a terrific storm
Father Point nearly succumbed. Had not some hunters
quickly lighted a fire when they saw him turn a ghastly
pallor, he would have died of cold. The crowning trial
was that they saw no buffalo.

22 This chief was the celebrated Walking Bear, baptized the year before.

i 34 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

But neither cold, nor wind, nor snow, nor famine, pre-
vented the Flatheads from accomplishing their spiritual
devotions. Night and morning the camp assembled in
and around the missionary's tent, the greater number
having no shelter but the sky above them. Nevertheless,
they were most attentive to the sermon, and sang the
hymns which preceded and followed the prayers. At
daybreak and at sunset a bell summoned the hunters to
recite the Angelus. Sunday was strictly kept.

Such fidelity touched the heart of God, as we shall see
from notes taken from Father Point's diary.

''February 6th: To-day is Sunday. Strong wind, gray
sky, bitter cold; no hay for the horses; the buffalo driven
off by the Nez Perces.

"February 7th: The cold more piercing, the aridity of the
plain increases, the snow a great hindrance. Notwith-
standing yesterday, the day of rest was sanctified, to-day
perfect resignation. Courage! confidence!

"Toward midday we reached the summit of a high
mountain. What a transformation! The sun was shin-
ing and the cold .less penetrating. We saw an immense
plain before us, good pasturage, and herds of buffalo.
The expedition halted, the hunters assembled and set off
for the chase. Before sunset one hundred and fifty-three
buffaloes fell to their bag. If this find of buffaloes was not
a miracle, it resembled greatly the miraculous draft of fish.
In God's name Peter cast his net and brought to shore
one hundred and fifty-three fish. Confident in the power
of God and in His name the Flatheads brought down one
hundred and fifty-three buffaloes."

Several Pend d'Oreilles joined the Flatheads. Despite
the difficulties of a nomad's life and the rigors of the season,
Father Point found means to instruct and baptize a number
of Indians. At the approach of Easter the hunters re-
turned to St. Mary's, and on Holy Saturday the whole tribe
assembled in the mission church to sing the Regina cceli.

The time was now come to prepare the neophytes for
their first communion. The faith and piety that charac-
terized their reception of the Sacrament of Baptism was
evident in the same degree in their preparation for the

ST. MARY'S MISSION 135

other two Sacraments. When told about confession, some
wished it to be public. The impenetrable mystery of the
Holy Eucharist they accepted without question: "Yes,
Father, we believe truly and sincerely."

The feast of Pentecost was chosen for the great cele-
bration. In order to give greater solemnity to the occa-
sion a procession was formed; the missionaries, wearing
surplices and preceded by a crucifix-bearer, marched ahead
of the neophytes. Silently, in a spirit of recollection, they
entered the church. The sanctity of the spot, the clouds
of incense, and the singing of the hymns, moved the
hearts of the neophytes, awakening within them emotions
they had never felt before. As the moment of the conse-
cration and communion approached, the 'poor savages,
kneeling, with bowed heads, adored and thanked their
God. He whom they had learned to love and whom their
fathers had so long desired, had become the Guest of their
transfigured souls !

In the spring of 1842 a succession of touching feasts
took place. The Rocky Mountains witnessed for the first
time the month of May devotions, the celebration of the
feast of the Sacred Heart, and the procession of the Blessed
Sacrament. The fervor of the Indians was such that
numbers were permitted to receive holy communion fre-
quently. "There are entire families," writes Father De
Smet, "who approach the holy table every Sunday. Often
we hear twenty consecutive confessions without finding
matter for absolution." 23

The old chief Big Face was no longer witness of these
wonders. He died during that same winter, after having,
at ninety years of age, made his first communion.

"Have you no sins to repent of since your baptism?"
asked the missionary.

"Sins?" he replied, astounded. "How could I com-
mit sins when it is my duty to teach others to live well?"

He was buried wrapped in the flag he waved every
Sunday to announce the Lord's Day. He also could chant
his Nunc Dimittis, for he had lived to see his tribe a Chris-
tian people, practicing, in the heart of the desert, the
highest Christian virtues.

Letter to the Father General, Aug. 15, 1842.

CHAPTER VIII

JOURNEYS TO FORT COLVILLE AND FORT VANCOUVER THE

KALISPELS AND THE CCEUR D'ALENES FATHER

BLANCHET (1841-1842)

The Privations of the Missionaries Father De Smet Goes to Fort Colville
to Get Provisions The Kalispels Baptism of Some Old Indians
Messis guidem Multa, Operarii Autem Pauci First Attempt at Farming
at St. Mary's Journey to Fort Vancouver The Cceur d' AlSnes
Father De Smet Sees Five of His Companions Drowned in the Columbia
Oregon in 1840 Fathers Blanchet and Demers A Mission Must
Be Opened at Willamette Father De Smet's Return to St. Louis
On His Way Back He is Received by the Crows Dominus Memor
Fuit Nostri, et Benedixit Nobis.

ONE month after his arrival at St. Mary's, Father De
Smet was obliged to leave his fellow-missionaries to
go to Fort Colville on the Columbia River, about three
hundred miles northwest of the mission. The journey
was undertaken with two objects in view:

First, the needs of the colony, which was in dire poverty.
Brother Specht was clothed in a garment made of animal
skins, and one of the Fathers had been obliged to transform
an Indian blanket into a cassock. Moreover, provisions
for the winter, seeds for the spring crops, tools, agricultural
implements, beeves, cows, in a word all that was needed for
the establishment of a "reduction," had to be purchased.

The second object of his journey was to visit the Kalispels
(a tribe allied to the Pend d'Oreilles) who camped in the
autumn on the borders of the Clarke River. 1

Father De Smet had left St. Mary's October 28th, es-
corted by ten Flathead warriors. On the feast of All
Saints he reached the principal camp of the Kalispels,

J The Kalispels were also called the Pend d'Oreilles of the Bay to dis-
tinguish them from the Pend d'Oreilles of the Mountains, who had been
visited by Father De Smet when he visited the Flatheads,

JOURNEY TO FORT COLVILLE 137

where he was enthusiastically received; and what was his
surprise that evening to hear them recite night prayers,
and to learn that this tribe was in a way converted before
ever having seen a missionary!

The mystery was soon solved. Having heard the pre-
vious year of the arrival of a Black Robe in the mountains,
the Kalispels sent an intelligent young Indian, possessing
an excellent memory, to visit the Platheads. In their
camp he learned the prayers, the hymns, and the great
truths of our religion, and upon his return was made the
apostle of the tribe. His instructions were handed on
from one lodge to the other, and before the winter was
over, more than half the tribe was Christian.

Overjoyed at the admirable attitude of these people,
Father De Smet at once baptized the children and the
sick of the tribe, and when taking leave of the Kalispels
he promised to send a priest who would remain with them.

His journey along the banks of the Clarke brought him
to a gigantic chain of rocks. "I have been in many bad
places," he writes, "but never before have I encountered
such difficulties as this pass presented. Impossible to
cross it on horseback, on foot it was equally out of the
question, as I should have been exhausted before getting
over." He then had recourse to an expedient that recalled
the adventures of his youth. "Remembering I had in my
caravan a gentle and staid old mule, I proceeded to take
hold of its tail, and held on tight. Urged on by cries and
the generous use of the whip, it patiently dragged me to the
summit. For the descent I changed my position and
hung on to the reins. The animal, descending step by
step, landed me safely on the other side." 2

The next day he entered a vast forest of pines and cedars,
through which he traveled for three days. "This forest,"
writes the missionary, " is a marvel of its kind. The
Indians tell me it is the finest forest in Oregon. It would,
in fact, be difficult to find elsewhere such gigantic trees.
The cedar towers majestically in a wilderness of birch,
alder, and beech. I measured one forty-two feet in cir-
cumference; another fallen cedar lay two hundred feet

2 Letter to one of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, St. Mary's, Dec.
S t 1841.
10

i 3 8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

along the ground. The branches of these colossi, inter-
laced above the birch and beech trees, form a canopy so
dense that the sun's rays never reach the moss and lichen-
covered earth. A thousand trunks rising like so many
columns to a green dome form a temple erected by nature
to the glory of its Creator." 3

Upon emerging from the forest one catches sight of
Kalispel Lake with its islands and pine-trees, its sloping
shores, its horizon of hills, one above the other, reaching
up to summits of eternal snow.

For the missionary, however, the most entrancingly beau-
tiful view is as nothing compared to the joy of gaining a
soul for God. "One day, from the declivity of a hill upon
which I was standing, I saw upon the river-bank a little
log hut. I called several times no reply. Feeling drawn
to visit the hut, I descended, accompanied by an inter-
preter. We found there a poor old woman, very ill, and
blind. I spoke to her about the Great Spirit, of what one
must do to obtain salvation, of baptism, etc. The apostle
St. Philip tells us that there are cases in which all the
necessary dispositions are found in an act of faith and a
sincere desire to know truth. The poor woman's replies
breathed respect and love of God. 'Yes/ said she, 'I love
God with all my heart. During my whole life He has
cared for me. I wish to be His child and belong to Him
forever.' The poor creature then fell on her knees and
begged for baptism. I administered the Sacrament, giving
her the name of Mary, and hung a medal of the Blessed
Virgin around her neck. When leaving her hut and even
at some distance away, I still heard her thanking God for
this inestimable favor.

" Hardly had I regained the small mountain path when
I met the woman's husband. Bent under the weight of
years and infirmity, the wretched man could scarcely
drag himself along. He was in the forest setting a deer-
trap when my men told him of my coming. The poor
Indian hurried as best he could, and catching sight of me,
cried out from afar in a trembling voice: 'What happiness
to see our Father before I die! The Great Spirit is good.

8 Letter to one of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, St. Mary's* Dec.
8, 1841.

JOURNEY TO FORT COLVILLE 139

I am now at peace!' The good man shook my hand
effusively, repeating again and again the same words; I
told him I had visited his hut and baptized his wife.

'"I heard of your arrival last year in the mountains/
he said, 'and that you had baptized many people there.
I am old and poor; I never hoped to have the joy of seeing
you. Black Robe, give me the happiness you have just
given my wife. I also wish to belong to God, and will
love Him forever.'

"I baptized the Indian in a torrent near-by, giving him
the name of Simon. Continuing on my way, I heard him
repeating, 'Oh! how good God is! I thank you, Black
Robe, for the happiness you have procured me. My heart
is at peace ! Yes, I will love God always. How good God
is ! How good God is I' In that moment not for a kingdom
would I have changed places with any one on earth. Such
a meeting is, of itself, worth a journey to the mountains."

A little farther on another consolation awaited Father
De Smet. He- discovered in a miserably poor hut five
old Kalispel Indians over eighty years of age. Three of
them were blind, the other two had only one eye. They
were pictures of human misery. "I spoke to them," he
tells us, "of the necessity of salvation and the happiness
of the future life. Their replies moved me to tears. All
five of them, from different corners of the hut, cried out:
*O God! What happiness has come to us in our old age!
We love You, Lord! and will continue to love You until
death!' When I explained the necessity of baptism, they
fell upon their knees to receive the Sacrament."

In order to awaken apostolic zeal in the souls of his fellow-
priests Father De Smet addressed them in burning words
that recall St. Francis Xavier's impassioned outpourings:

"Oh! good and beloved Fathers in Europe, in God's
name I conjure you to come without delay to labor in this
vineyard! The harvest is ripe and plentiful. The eager-
ness of these tribes to hear the Word of God is almost
beyond belief. From every direction, and I mean by that,
from great distances, they come, asking me to baptize their
children. Many have followed me for a whole day, with
the sole object of listening to the instructions. Every-
where I go, the old people beg for baptism. My heart

140 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

aches at the thought of so many souls left to perish for
lack of priests to instruct them. Of this place one can
truly say: Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci.*
Does there exist in the Society of Jesus a priest whose heart
would not kindle with zeal at these words? Does a
Christian exist who would refuse to contribute to such work
as that of the Propagation of the Faith?

"Certainly the life of a missionary has its trials and
dangers; yet, however great these may be, he guards the
serenity of his soul by centering his mind upon God.
The desert is immense and the journey across it monoto-
nous. The howling of the wolves, the grunting of the bear,
and the screams of the wildcat and panther are heard, but
only in the distance, for these wild beasts flee at the sight
of man. Providence has provided admirably for the needs
of those who inhabit the wilderness; buffalo, deer, gazelle,
roebuck, bighorn, and elk roam here in thousands. Yet
a fast of a day or two I speak from experience gives
zest to appetite. Should a storm keep one awake, one
sleeps better the following night* The sight of the enemy
lying in wait to take one's life teaches more confidence
in God; teaches one to pray well, and to keep his account
with God in order; but an abiding and grateful joy suc-
ceeds these disquieting moments, and I hope yet to learn
what it is to suffer for the sweet name of Jesus. Here, in all
its force, one experiences the truth of those divine words:
Jugum meum suave est, et onus meum leve."**

On November i4th, Father De Smet arrived at Fort
Colville, the property of the Hudson Bay Fur Company.
The commander, a Scotchman, welcomed the missionary,
and furnished him with all the cattle he wanted, also
foodstuffs and seeds. FurtRermore, he added to the sup-
plies (unknown to Father De Smet) a number of delicacies,
such as sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, butter, crackers, flour,
poultry, etc. Four days later Father De Smet set out
upon his return journey to the Bitter Root. 6 He arrived

4 "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few.*' (Matt, ix, 37.)
*"My yoke is sweet and My burden light." (Matt, xi, 30.) Letter
cited.

6 An amusing incident happened which convinced our missionary that
daughters of Eve exist in every latitude. "We had left five bales of dried
meat with the Pend d'Oreilles. Finding but two upon my return, I enquired

JOURNEY TO FORT VANCOUVER 141

at St. Mary's on the feast of the Immaculate Conception,
December 8th, and was received with cheers and acclama-
tions of joy by his dear Flatheads. He had been absent
forty-two days, and during his journey had baptized
one hundred and ninety souls and preached the Gospel
to over two thousand Indians.

The missionary brought back from Fort Colville several
bushels of oats, wheat, and potatoes for planting. Brother
Claessens had already plowed an enclosed piece of land
adjoining the mission, and in the spring he sowed the
seeds and planted the potatoes.

The Indians, filled with wonder at this proceeding,
thought it folly to plow and destroy grass that fed their
horses and to bury seeds that were good to eat. In vain
Brother Claessens assured them the seeds would rot in the
ground and produce a hundredfold. No one believed him.
When things began to sprout in the spring the Flatheads
remained whole days at a time perched upon the fence to
see if what was told them would come true. Shouts of joy
greeted the first blades that appeared above the ground.
Before long the ears formed upon the tender stalks, and
when summer came the enclosure resembled a huge basket
overflowing with golden harvest. The crops were divided
among the Indians, who now could appreciate the advan-
tage derived from tilling the soil. The missionaries seized
this occasion to explain to them the mystery of the resur-
rection of the body.

In the spring of 1842 provisions again ran short. Un-
able, this time, to obtain them, from Fort Colville, Father

of the chief what had become of the rest. ' Black Robe/ he said, ' I am
ashamed and afraid to tell you. I was absent when you put your bales in
my tent. My wife opened one to see if the meat was moldy. The fat
looked so good and tempting! She tasted it, and when I returned offered
it to me and the children. Soon the news spread through the village; the
neighbors flocked in and we ate it all up.'

"Had the worthy man wished to repeat anew the story of our first parents,
he did full justice to his r61e. This incident furnished me the occasion
to instruct the Indians on original sin and its disastrous consequences.
The chief then arose, and after severely reprimanding his wife, protested
in the name of the tribe that a similar occurrence would never again happen."
(Letter cited.)

142 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

De Smet journeyed to Port Vancouver near the mouth of
the Columbia, and about a thousand miles west of St.
Mary's. This journey was destined to play a part in the
religious future of Oregon that Father De Smet then little
dreamed of.

Leaving St. Mary's Mission April isth, he visited the
Kalispels in passing, and while there preached to the tribe
and strengthened them in their good resolutions. Further
on, he came upon the camp of the Kootenais. This tribe
had never seen a priest; but from an Iroquois who had
been thirty years in their camp, they learned the principal
articles of faith. Father De Smet baptized the infants, and
the adults who had received some instruction.

After crossing the Bitter Root Mountains he came to the
country of the Coeur d'Alnes, a fertile, lovely valley
stretching westward hundreds of miles. Clusters of dark
pines and cedars emerged from the green plain, in the cen-
ter of which lay a lake well stocked with fish. A river ran
through the valley, and to the north, east, and south snow-
capped mountains pierced the clouds. Formerly the Coeur
d' Alines were considered the most barbarous and degraded
of the mountain tribes; they adored animals, and lived in
complete ignorance of God, the soul, and a future life.
Even the precepts of natural law were but vaguely under-
stood and pretty generally offended against in practice.
About 1830, an Iroquois Catholic, it is supposed, taught
them the first elements of Christianity. Shortly after this
date, the tribe suffered the ravages of a violent epidemic.
When the plague was at its height, a dying man heard a
voice saying: "Leave your idols, adore Jesus Christ, and
you will be cured." He obeyed, and was restored to health.
Then, making a tour of the camp, the restored man related
what had taken place and entreated his stricken brethren
to follow his example. They did so and all likewise were
cured. 7 This event produced a profound impression on the
Cceur d'Al&nes, but without a priest to further instruct
them, a few of the tribe returned to the worship of idols;

m 7 Father Point, who relates this fact, adds: "I heard the above from the
lips of the Indian to whom it happened, who wept tears of gratitude in re-
lating it. Furthermore, eye-witnesses confirmed his statement.'* (Cf.
De Smet, "Missions de 1'Oregon," p. 243; Father Point, Recollections of
the Rocky Mountains in " The Woodstock Letters," 1883, p. 153.

THE CCEUR D'ALENES 143

the conduct of many, however, since the revelation of the
true God, had remained irreproachable.

Such was the condition of the Coetir d'Atenes when
Father De Smet visited the tribe in 1842. "I was con-
ducted in triumph to the lodge of the chief," he tells us,
"and there, as in every other Indian camp, the calumet was
brought forth. After it had been handed around several
times and smoked in solemn silence the chief addressed me
in the following words :

"'Black Robe, welcome to our country. Long have we
desired to see you and be enlightened by your words.
Our fathers worshiped the earth and the sun. I remember
distinctly the day we first heard of the one and only true
God. Since then it is to Him we have addressed our
prayers and supplications, and yet we are much to be pitied.
We do not know the teachings of the Great Spirit, and we
sit in darkness. But now I hope you have come to bring
us light. I have finished. Speak, Black Robe! Every ear
is open and eager to hear your words/

"During the two hours in which I spoke to them of
salvation and the end of man, absolute silence and stillness
reigned. The sun was just setting, and I recited the
prayer I had some days before translated into their tongue.
Refreshments were then offered, consisting of scraps of
dried meat, a black moss cake that tasted like soap, and a
glass of river-water, all of which were as nectar and ambrosia
to a man who had not tasted food since sunrise. The
chiefs expressing a desire to hear me again, I continued to
instruct the tribe until far into the night, pausing every
half -hour to hand around the calumet and give time for
reflection. During these pauses the chiefs conversed
about what they had just heard, explaining it to their
subordinates.

"Upon awakening in the morning I found my tent in-
vaded by Indians who had slipped in before dawn. Get-
ting up at once, I knelt down, the Indians following my
example, and together we offered our day and our hearts
to God. 'Black Robe/ said the chief, 'we came here early
this morning to watch you and imitate you. Your prayer
is good, and we wish to adopt it. But you will stay here
only two nights, and we have no one to teach it to us.' I

i 4 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

rang the bell for morning prayers, and promised the chief
they all would know the prayer before my departure." 8

Then it was that Father De Smet laid down the method
that would henceforth be used for teaching the tribes their
prayers. He assembled the Indians, ranging the children
in a circle, with instructions to keep the same place at every
reunion. Then each one was made to learn a phrase of the
prayer by heart. Two children repeated the Hail Mary,
seven the Our Father, ten the Commandments, and twelve
the Apostles' Creed. After repeating to each child his
particular phrase until he knew it by heart, the missionary
then made them recite the phrases each in turn. This
made a continued prayer, which the tribe listened to
night and morning. After a few days one of the chiefs
knew all the prayers by heart, and from that time he re-
cited them for the tribe.

Two days after his arrival at the Coeur d'Alene camp,
Father De Smet baptized the children, the sick, and the
old men and women of the tribe. It seemed as though
God had only kept these last on earth to accord them this
supreme favor. In listening to their expressions of joy and
gratitude one seemed to hear again Simeon's praises to
the Lord.

Torn with regret, the missionary took leave of his new
Christians, promising to send them a priest to complete
their instruction. " Never has a visit to the Indians
given me so much consolation, and nowhere have I
seen such unmistakable proof of true conversion, not
even excepting the Flatheads in 1840." The future
but confirmed his judgment, for the Coeur d' Al&nes re-
mained the most industrious and Christian of the moun-
tain tribes.

Father De Smet then visited the Spokanes, who were
eager for religious knowledge, and from there he went to
Fort Colville. The melting of the snow having occasioned
great floods, he was unable to travel overland to Van-
couver. While his guides and followers were constructing
a boat in which to make the journey on the Columbia,
Father De Smet visited the Chaudi&res or Kettle Indians,
and the Okinagans camped on the other side of the river.
8 Letter to the Father^General, Madison Fork, Aug. 15, 1842.

THE CCEUR D'ALNES 145

Young and old came running to him, all eager to receive
instruction, and quickly applied themselves to learning
the prayers. Here again the missionary could do no more
than baptize the children and the sick. "Had we but a
few more priests/' he writes, "and the means of getting-
farming implements for the Indians, all the mountain
tribes would soon be Catholic." 9

On May 3oth he set out on his journey to Vancouver.
Numerous rapids and submerged rocks render naviga-
tion on the Columbia extremely dangerous, and once
more Father De Smet was to experience that marvelous,
protection which accompanied him throughout all his-
travels.

"I had gone ashore," he tells us, "and was walking on
the river-bank, little dreaming of the catastrophe that
threatened. The men pushed out into the stream, and
seeing them leisurely pulling along and singing as they bent.
to their oars, I began to regret having preferred a stony
path on the edge of a rock to the smoothness of the river.
Suddenly the prow struck, throwing the men almost out
of their seats. Righting themselves quickly, they at-
tempted to move off, when the boat was caught in a whirl-
pool. The river was white with foam, and above the roar
of the waters I heard the pilot urging the men to row.
Alas! it was all in vain. The boat whirled around in the
maelstrom, its prow rose in the air, and then it plunged
into the abyss.

"A cold sweat broke out all over me, and for the moment
all was a blur. A cry, 'We are lost !' told me the fate of my
men. Unable to render aid, I stood there helpless, a
petrified spectator of the awful scene. No trace of the
accident was visible in the spot where the boat had dis-
appeared, but, as the waters calmed, I beheld the men in a
life-and-death struggle. The oars, the mast, the up-
turned boat, with its contents, floated about upon the
water. The men battled with the whirlpool that, forming
again, engulfed five of the crew forever. My interpreter
twice touched bottom and thought himself lost, when,
with a prayer on his lips, he landed safely on the bank.
An Iroquois was saved by clinging to my bed; a third man
9 Letter to Francis De Smet, Fort Colville, May 25, 1842.

i 4 6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

had the luck to grasp the handle of an empty trunk which
kept him afloat until he could reach shore. " 10

The rest of the journey passed without incident. Father
De Smet had the happiness of baptizing several children
of the various tribes he visited, and on June 8th he arrived
at Fort Vancouver.

The territory of Oregon at that time comprised the whole
region lying between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific
Ocean. 1 . 1 The situation of that vast country and the gran-
deur of" its scenery were unsurpassed. To the west lay the
Pacific, with its deep bays and steep cliffs. A horizon of pine-
clad hills marked the eastern boundary, behind which towered
the great Rocky Mountain chain, its peaks shrouded in
eternal snows. The country abounded with green valleys,
sapphire lakes, and boundless prairies. Great rivers be-
came cataracts, dashing down into deep and dark ravines.

Until the beginning of the last century, Oregon, to the
white man, was an unexplored land. The Hudson Bay
Company was the first to discover and exploit its richness. 12
The fertility of the soil, its rich vegetation, and the harvest
of priceless furs to be obtained from every variety of animal,
attracted bold and venturesome merchants, among whom
were several Catholic Canadians.

In 1824, John McLoughlin, a man of undisputed ability,
was appointed Governor of the Hudson Bay Company posts
in Oregon. 13 Agents who, had finished their years of service
were permitted to locate in the country, and were given
land, principally upon Willamette River. This colony, not
wishing to be deprived of the helps and consolations of
their religion, asked for a Catholic priest.

10 Letter to the Father General, Madison Fork, Aug. 15, 1842.

11 For a long time this country was disputed territory. The Oregon
question was settled by the Powers in 1846. All land south of the 49th degree
of latitude was given to the United States, and the rest became British
possessions.

12 The Hudson Bay Fur Company, founded in 1670, with its principal
headquarters in Montreal, had the monopoly of all trade west of the British
possessions and in Oregon. In the latter country the company had several
trading-posts, the most important being Fort Vancouver,

13 Born in Canada in 1784, Dr. McLoughlin was educated in Paris,
and at an early age entered the service of the Hudson Bay Company. Brought
up a Protestant, he later in life embraced the Catholic faith, and from that
time his influence and services were always at the disposal of the missionaries.

FATHER BLANCHET 147

In 1838 the Archbishop of Quebec obtained passage for
two Canadian missionaries, Francis Norbert Blanchet, and
Modeste Demers, on one of the Fur Company's boats.
Francis Norbert Blanchet was appointed Vicar General,
with jurisdiction over the whole country situated west of
the mountains. The missionaries journeyed for several
months over lakes and rivers before reaching the Rocky
Mountains, from where they descended into the Columbia
valley, where they found Protestant missionaries already
installed.

As far back as 1834, Methodists, Presbyterians, and An-
glicans swarmed into Oregon, each denomination estab-
lishing its own churches. The zeal of the Catholic mis-
sionaries accomplished prodigies in an effort to combat
the work of these sects. Catholic churches were erected
at Vancouver, Willamette, and at Cowlitz. Christian piety
being revived, Canadian trappers were rescued from the
disorders of a life of adventure; and the Indian was not
forgotten.

In order to reach the tribes Father Demers retraced his
steps and went up the Columbia to Walla Walla and Col-
ville. But what were two priests in the vast work of con-
verting a population of 200,000 souls, scattered over an
area aggregating nine hundred miles in length and six
hundred miles in width?

Hearing that Father De Smet, with five other mission-
aries, had arrived in the mountains, Father Blanchet has-
tened to acquaint him with the conditions existing in Ore-
gon. ''You can readily see," he says, in concluding his
letter, "how timely the arrival of one of your Fathers and
a lay Brother would be. In my opinion, this place is where
the religious foundations in this part of the country should
be laid: a college, a convent, and schools are an absolute
necessity. This is the battle-ground, here we must con-
quer, and here the first large mission should be established.
From central posts missionaries could visit the outlying
posts, distributing the Bread of life to infidels still plunged
in the darkness of death. " 14

H Fort Vancouver, Sept. 28, 1841. Dr. McLoughlin seconded Father
Blanchet in this niatter. "After many years' experience I am fully con-
vinced that the most efficacious means of spreading Catholicity in this part

148 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Going, some months later, to Fort Vancouver to revictual
St. Mary's Mission, Father De Smet was able to investigate
for himself the condition of the missions in Western Oregon.
At St. Paul on the Willamette he met the Canadian mis-
sionaries. 15 Plans for Christianizing the country were dis-
cussed and decided upon. Father De Smet realized the
necessity of establishing a large mission in Western Oregon,
where civilization was rapidly advancing, and from where
Catholicism would penetrate into the mountains. But
alas! men and money were wanting. The Fathers from
St. Louis hardly sufficed for the needs of the new converts,
and, moreover, that immense territory required not one
but many missionaries. Sisters were also needed to under-
take the Christian education of the children.

Father De Smet decided to go himself to his Superior
to plead the cause of the Oregon Mission, resolved that,
failing to obtain help in St. Louis, he would seek it in Eu-
rope. A few days later the missionaries separated, as.
Father De Smet was eager to return to St. Mary's with the
provisions, tools, and clothes he had purchased at Van-
couver for the mission. He arrived there July 27th.

The Flatheads, accompanied by Father Point, were
absent on the summer hunting expedition; Father Menga-
rini guarded the old people and the children left in camp
during their absence. Without delay, Father De Smet de-
parted to join the hunters, and on August i5th he cele-
brated Mass in a beautiful plain watered by the Madison;
"I wanted to thank God for the many favors accorded me
during the past year. I had the consolation of seeing fifty
Flatheads approach the holy table. In their humility
and devotion they resembled angels more than men/* 36

The missionary would have liked to linger and enjoy the

of the world would be the establishment of a large mission for the colonists
at Willamette and Cowlitz. The Indian imitates the white man, and if one
of your Fathers and a lay Brother could come here to labor with Fathers-
Blanchet and Demers until reinforcements arrive from Canada, it would be
an immense gain for religion." (Vancouver, Sept. 27, 1841.)

15 When Father De Smet found himself in the presence of the Vicar
General, the humble religious fell upon his knees to ask his blessing. Father
Blanchet, beholding Father De Smet, sank upon his knees to ask the same
favor. Father Demers, a witness of this touching scene, liked to tell of it
in after-life.

18 Letter to the Father General, Madison Fork, Aug. 15, 1842.

FATHER BLANCHET 149

fervor of his neophytes, but duty called him elsewhere.
Father Mengarini was left in charge of the Flatheads and
Pend d'Oreilles. Father Point, upon the return of the
hunting expedition, was to go with Brother Huet to
establish a mission for the Cceur d'Alenes. The mis-
sionary himself started out for the fourth time to cross the
American desert, again in search of recruits for the mission.

Father De Smet's escort consisted of ten Indians.
They crossed two mountain chains and made one hundred
and fifty miles in three days across a country infested with
Blackfeet, without, however, encountering one of the
tribe. Then came a few days' rest with a friendly tribe
before setting out for the Crows.

"The Crows spied us from afar, and when they recog-
nized us cried out 'the Black Robe! the Black Robe!'
Men, women, and children to the number of about three
thousand poured out of their huts like bees out of a hive.
My entry into the village occasioned a wild scene, of which
I found myself, ex dbrupto, the principal actor. The chiefs
and highest braves, numbering about fifty in all, suddenly
pressed around me, impeding my passage, one pulling me
to the right, another to the left; a third held my cassock,
and an athlete wished to carry me, all talking at once
and appearing to be quarreling.

"Not understanding the language, I wondered if I
should laugh or be serious. Happily, the interpreter re-
lieved my embarrassment, telling me that this tumult
was but an expression of politeness and high regard for
my person. All solicited the honor of feeding and lodging
the Black Robe. Acting upon the interpreter's advice, I
chose my host. The others immediately fell back as I
followed the chief into his lodge, the largest and most splen-
did one in the camp. Then the Crows began to pour
into the lodge, offering me every conceivable attention.
The social calumet, symbol of Indian unity and brother-
liood, was kept lighted and passed around to the entire
assembly." 17

w " These Indians," wrote Father De Smet, " are without doubt the most
enquiring, the most eager for instruction, the cleverest and most civilized
of the Western tribes, and, furthermore, great friends and admirers of the

i S o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

"Wild with joy, the Indians declared this to be the
greatest day of their lives. They entreated me to take
pity upon the tribe and remain to teach them and their
children to know and serve the Great Spirit. I promised
them a Black Robe, on condition that the chief would un-
dertake to abolish thieving, so frequent among them, and
reform the degrading corruption of morals that reigned in
his tribe.

"These Indians have one thing in their favor upon which
I base great hopes: So far they have resisted the efforts
of American merchants to introduce intoxicating liquors
into their tribe. 'What is your fire-water good for?' said
the chief. 'It only does evil. It burns the throat and
stomach and makes a bear of a man: he bites, growls, yells,
and finally falls down like a dead body. Take this liquor
to our enemies; they will kill each other, leaving their
wives and children in a pitiable condition. We do not
want whiskey. We are crazy enough without it.'

"Before departing I witnessed a touching scene. The
chief asked to see my crucifix. Taking advantage of the
occasion I told them about Our Lord's sufferings, why
He gave His life for us, at the same time putting the
crucifix into his hands. Reverently he kissed it, and
pressing the image of Our Saviour to his breast, with eyes
lifted toward heaven, cried out: 'Oh, Great Spirit, have
pity upon Thy children, and show them mercy.' " 1S

After leaving the Crows' camp, Father De Smet, with

white man. They plied me with questions, and among others wished to know
the population of the white man. 'Count/ said I, 'the blades of grass
in your vast prairie and you will then have some idea of their number.'
This occasioned general mirth. No such thing was possible, they said, but
they nevertheless understood what I meant. I then told them of the white
man's villages London, Paris, etc.; of towers high as mountains, and
churches vast enough to contain all the Crows and Blackfeet at one time; of
the streets in these great villages filled with hurrying men and women in more
compact masses than the buffaloes ranging their prairies. Such marvels
left them speechless with wonder; and when I described moving tents drawn
by a machine that vomited forth smoke and outdistanced the fleetest
horse; boats that traversed the ocean, transporting in a few days the in-
habitants of an entire village from one country to another; men rising in
the air and soaring in the clouds like mountain eagles, their astonishment
knew no bounds. Closing their hands over their mouths, they emitted
screams indicating admiration. 'The Master of life is great/ said the
chief, 'and the white men are His favorites.' "

18 Letter to Francis De Smet, St. Louis, Nov. 3, 1842.

FATHER BLANCHET 151

Young Ignatius, a half-breed named Gabriel, and two
Protestant Americans, entered once more the valley of the
Yellowstone, then infested with wild tribes. The per-
petual warfare carried on between the Blackfeet, Sioux,
Cheyennes, and Assiniboins made it the most dangerous
spot in the wild Western country.

"After traveling six days we arrived at the scene of a
recent massacre. About us lay the bloody remains of ten
Assiniboins massacred three days before, their bodies
already half devoured by wolves and birds of prey. The
sight of these remains and the vultures circling over our
heads filled me with secret terror; the little courage I pos-
sessed seemed to abandon me, although I tried to conquer
this feeling and hide it from my companions. Each step
but increased it, coming as we did upon fresh traces of men
and horses, unmistakable signs of the proximity of the
enemy. Our guide feared we were already discovered, but
thought by proceeding cautiously we would escape pursuit.

"The next day the following Hne of march was adopted.
At daybreak we were in the saddle. At ten o'clock a halt
of an hour or two, a place being carefully chosen, offering
some defence in case of attack. Then we started off again,
going at a brisk trot until sundown. After the evening
meal, in order to deceive the enemy, we built a big fire,
hurriedly erected a cabin out of branches of trees, after
which we got on our horses and rode until ten or eleven
o'clock at night. We then dismounted and without fire
or shelter rested as best we could."

The travelers at last reached the Missouri River and
remained several days at Fort Union. The long trip across
an arid desert had exhausted the horses, and yet eighteen
hundred miles lay between the missionary and St. Louis.
So Father De Smet, with Ignatius and Gabriel, procured a
boat and in this frail bark abandoned themselves to the
swift current of the Missouri.

"This time we were in luck. The third day out we
heard a steamboat in the distance, and before long it hove
in sight. Our first thought was to thank God for this
present favor. The proprietors of the boat, as well as
the captain, generously invited us to come aboard. I ac-
cepted thankfully, all the more when I learned that warring

152 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

tribes were in hiding all along the river. The water was
low, the snags and sand-bars frequent, and the boat was
often in danger of being wrecked. Submerged rocks broke
the paddle-wheels, a hurricane overturned the pilot's house,
which would have been swept into the water had cables
not been quickly attached, and after forty-six days of peril-
ous navigation a skeleton of a boat landed us at St. Louis.
"The last Sunday in October found me kneeling before
the Blessed Virgin's altar in the cathedral, thanking God
for the protection He had accorded His unworthy servant.
From the beginning of April I had covered five thousand
miles; had been up and down the Columbia River, where
five of my men perished before my eyes; I had been the
length of the entire desert of the Yellowstone and descended
the Missouri to St. Louis; and in this long voyage I had
never received a scratch nor wanted for the necessities of
life. Dominus memor fuit nostri et benediocit nobis." 19

19 "The Lord hath been mindful of us and hath blessed us." (Ps. cxiii,
12.) Letter quoted.

CHAPTER IX

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE (1843-1844)

Fathers De Vos and Adrian Hoecken are Sent to the Mountains Father
De Smet and Daniel O'Connell A National Meeting Journey to
Rome Father De Smet Received by the Pope Gregory XVI Wishes
to Make Him a Bishop New Missionaries Sisters of Notre Dame
From Antwerp to Vancouver around the Horn A Seven Months*
Journey Storms, Shortage of Food, Reefs.

BATHER DE SMET remained in St. Louis only a few
A days, for he was eager to set about sending mission-
aries to the Rocky Mountains and to Oregon. Informed
of the needs of the mission, Father Verhaegen, Vice-
Provincial of Missouri, appointed two priests and a
Brother to join Fathers Point and Mengarini. These
were Father Peter De Vos, former Master of Novices at
Florissant, Father Adrian Hoecken, the brother of Chris-
tian Hoecken, apostle to the Potawatomies, and Brother
MacGean. 1

Men were not sufficient: money was needed, and this
the St. Louis Fathers were unable to furnish. 2 So Father
De Smet again set about raising funds, and after publish-
ing an account of his journeys, 3 started on a begging tour,
visiting in turn New Orleans, Boston, Louisville, Cin-
cinnati, Pittsburg, Cumberland, Baltimore, Washington,
Philadelphia, and New York. By the end of the winter
he had collected five thousand dollars, a sum sufficient to

1 In Father De Smet's absence, Father De Vos was appointed Superior
of the mission.

2 "We are up to our eyes in debt," writes Father Van de Velde, "and
God alone knows how we shall be able to extricate ourselves. The assistance
formerly received from Belgium and Holland has decreased, and our ex-
penses increase in the measure our resources diminish." (Letter to Mr.
De Nef, St. Louis, Jan. 10, 1843.)

8 "Letters and Sketches, with a Narrative of a Year's Residence among
the Indian Tribes of the Rocky Mountains,' 1 Philadelphia, 1843.
11

i 5 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

defray the expense of the journey of the new missionaries,
and to purchase necessities for the development of the
colony.

In May, 1843, Father De Smet accompanied Father
De Vos and his companions as far as Westport, and him-
self directed the departure of the caravan, happy to be
able to send such a reinforcement to his beloved Indians.

But what were three missionaries in the work of evan-
gelizing such a vast country? Since the American prov-
inces were unable to furnish priests, Father De Smet de-
cided to seek them in Europe, and on June 7th he sailed
with Bishop Hughes, that valiant metropolitan, who was
journeying to Rome. Dating from that voyage, an in-
timate and lasting friendship existed between the prelate
and the missionary. On June 28th Father- De Smet
landed in Ireland, and there made the acquaintance of
Daniel O'Conhell, that great man that personified un-
shaken faith in the just claims of his unhappy country.
The labors of Bishop Hughes in behalf of the Irish immi-
grants and the many organizations of which he was the
very soul, assured him a cordial welcome from O'ConnelL
The Bishop himself introduced the "Apostle of the Indians "
to the great agitator. The next day a national meeting was
to be held in Dublin, and O'Connell invited his guests
to accompany him.

"I have been present," writes Father De Smet, "at a
gathering of two hundred thousand people, and had the
honor of sitting in the same carriage with the great liberator,
Daniel O'Connell. The people's enthusiasm knew no
bounds : we were literally carried in triumph to the meet-
ing-place near the city, amid the acclamations and blessings
of the throng. Seated on the platform, not a word of the
stirring discourse escaped me. That day Irish eloquence
resounded in all its glory.

"What a spectacle it was for me, a missionary who,
after being buried for five years in the heart of the American
desert, and now thrown by chance upon Irish soil, found
myself beside one of the greatest men of the day the only
agitator who has ever instigated a revolution without
spilling one drop of blood.

"What a man! I cannot express my sensations and

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE 155

feelings on that occasion. Never did I behold a brighter
eye, a more benevolent face, a more imposing and com-
manding person. His words flow like honey from his
lips; he enraptures and captivates and places you at your
ease in a moment, just like an old friend and acquaint-
ance/' 4

Father De Smet and Bishop Hughes left Dublin together
and traveled to Liverpool. From there the missionary
journeyed to London and later on to Belgium. 5 Accounts
of Father De Smet's labors among the Indians had already
been circulated throughout Belgium, for during a period of
five years his letters had kept the benefactors of the mis-
sions informed of the progress religion had been making
among the Potawatomies and mountain tribes. The
people of Belgium vied with one another in doing honor to
the missionary, and all were eager to hear his picturesque
recitals.

July 30th found him in Brussels, where he gave a con-
ference upon his missions to the pupils of St. Michael's
College. To amuse his young audience he introduced a
" redskin" by disguising his servant, who, thus attired,
struck the threatening and grotesque attitudes of the
Missouri Indians. Wild applause greeted this unexpected
performance, no one enjoying it more than Father De Smet
"himself, who, while acquainting them with his Indian
mission, had at the same time amused the children.

The missionary permitted himself only a few days of
affectionate intercourse with his family and friends, for he
had come to Europe for other things than to secure sweet
repose and the easy success of a raconteur of adventures:
lie was seeking laborers in the Lord's vineyard, who would
depart at once to undertake the Christianization of Oregon.
So, early in August he left Belgium for Rome to set forth
Ms needs to the Father General of the Society of Jesus.

Father Roothaan received Father De Smet with marks
of tender affection, and listened with interest and deep
emotion to the accounts of the labors and successes of his

4 Letter to Francis De Smet, London, July 9, 1843.

* Bishop Hughes, while in Europe, collected money for his diocese.
He was introduced by Father De Smet to several charitably-disposed per-
sons, among them the pious Queen of the Belgians, Marie Louise, who
presented the Bishop with a valuable pectoral cross.

i S 6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

heroic children. Convinced that no work was more
worthy than the evangelization of the Indian, he promised
to personally recommend Father De Smet to the different
provinces of the Society. Then the Father General pre-
sented the first missionary of the Rocky Mountains to
Gregory XVI. Imagine the emotions of the humble mis-
sionary when the Holy Father rose from his throne to
embrace him! This touching reception more than repaid
Father De Smet for all he had suffered in the service of the
Church.

During the audience the Holy Father asked many
questions about the Indians and their attitude toward
religion. Father De Smet transmitted to His Holiness a
message from Victor, the great chief of the Flatheads.
When this zealous neophyte had learned that the
Sovereign Pontiff was exposed to attacks from the im-
pious, he had arisen and addressed the missionary in
these words:

" Father, you speak upon paper [you write]: if the
Great Chief of the Christians is in danger, send him a
message from me. We will build him a lodge in the middle
of our camp; we will hunt game that he may be fed; and
we will be his guards to protect him from the enemy. 7 '
Gregory XVI smiled benignly: the invitation touched His
Holiness: then, seeming to read the future, he said, "In
truth, the time is coming when we must leave Rome!
And where shall we go? God alone knows! Give my
apostolic blessing to those excellent Indians."

But Father De Smet's joy was not unalloyed, for soon it
came to his ears that he was to be made a Bishop, with
jurisdiction over the country lying between the Rocky
Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The distracted mis-
sionary implored his Superior to save him from an office
he felt unworthy to receive and incapable of discharging.
Thanks to the Father General's efforts in his behalf,
Father De Smet was spared the burden, and Father
Blanchet, Vicar General, was appointed Bishop of Oregon.
Henceforth the Bishop found no more devoted and sub-
missive collaborator than Father De Smet. 6

Returning to Belgium, our missionary began the dis-

6 Palladino, "Indian and White in the Northwest," p. 42.

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE 157

agreeable task of begging. The principal cities of Belgium
were visited as on the previous tour in behalf of the Indians,
and then he saw for the last time Mr. De Nef , for the fol-
lowing year the great benefactor of the missions died,
leaving to the Society of Jesus the direction of the college
which had been his life's work. From Belgium Father
De Smet went to Holland. In the dioceses of Bois-le-Duc
and Breda he aroused great zeal in behalf of the missions,
and The Hague, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam gave gener-
ously to the cause. 7 The General of the Jesuits had been
faithful to his promises and had made appeals to Rome,
Naples, and Lyons, Spain and Germany, with the result
that three new missionaries started at once for the Rocky
Mountains. 8 Five others were appointed to return with
Father De Smet: three were Italians, Fathers John Nobili,
Michael Accolti, and Anthony Ravalli; two were Belgians,
Father Louis Vercruysse, of Courtrai, and Brother Francis
Huybrechts, of Eeckeren, near Antwerp. These additional
priests brought the number of Jesuits in the mission up to
seventeen, a number sufficient at that time for its most
urgent needs.

But for the education of the Indians, the help of teaching
Sisters was indispensable. A Belgian community, the
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, had three years pre-
viously established a house at Cincinnati, and Father De
Smet, having visited their convent before leaving America,
was much impressed with the work accomplished by them.
The Sisters themselves were eager to share the mission-
aries' labors, so while in Belgium, November 10, 1843, he
visited their mother-house. In the annals of the institu-
tion we read: "We were happy to see in person, if only
for a moment, this great missionary. His letters, alive
with zeal and enthusiasm for apostolic work, had awakened
our interest. We had imagined him an energetic, enter-
prising, enthusiastic man. but not at all! Before us stood
a venerable priest, calm and humble, replying modestly
to our questions, and recounting most interestingly his
experiences. Many times, it seems, 'he had miraculously

7 Father De Smet end his companions left for America with nearly
$30,000.

8 Fathers Joset and Zerbinati, with Brother MagrL

158 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

escaped death. 'When one is not worthy to die,' he said,
'one escapes easily.'"

Bishop Dehesselle of Namur demurred at the Sisters*
request that they might join the Oregon Mission, but
finally gave his consent. Six Sisters prepared for im-
mediate departure. But how would it be possible to
expose these frail women to the many dangers and hard-
ships of crossing the American wilderness? Father De
Smet did not contemplate such an undertaking, and de-
cided, notwithstanding the long journey, to double Cape
Horn and enter Oregon through the Columbia Riven
An Antwerp boat, the Infatigable, was about to set sail
for Valparaiso, and on this vessel Father De Smet engaged
passage for the Sisters and the missionaries.

The party set out from Antwerp December isth. Fogs
and contrary winds delayed the boat nearly a month in
the Schelde, but the passengers knew how to employ their
leisure profitably. "All's well aboard/' writes Father De
Smet. "We have a trustworthy skipper, and a good crew;
the Sisters are calm and contented, the Fathers and
Brothers courageous and hopeful. We live here a com-
munity life; every one is occupied; Father Vercruysse
gives French lessons to the Italians, and I am teaching
all my band English." 9

At last, on January gth, the vessel put out to sea. All
"paid tribute to inexorable Neptune;" but a voyage
lasting seven months brought trials other than seasickness
to the missionaries, not the least of these being monotony.
Father De Smet, indefatigable traveler that he was, found
it interminably long. "Life on shipboard is dull and
tedious. Nothing but water; now and then a sail on the
horizon, or some sea-gulls and fish distract us for a moment
from our dreams and musings on the far away. A more
serious distraction is found in the storms, hurricanes, reefs,
and steep rocks; and when the vessel is beaten about at
the mercy of the winds, beyond the captain's control, we
tremble for our lives. " 10

The missionary's thoughts traveled to the loved ones

* Letter to Charles De Smet, on board the Infatigable, Dec. 25, 1843.
10 Letter to Francis De Smet, Valparaiso, May i, 1844.

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE 159

that he had left behind for the third time: "Often on a
calm, clear night I sit on deck gazing for hours at the
stars, and musing upon sweet memories. The Belt of
Orion, commonly called 'the Three Kings,' recalls to my
mind my two brothers and my sister. In looking at
'Berenice's Hair,' I imagine myself in the midst of the
children of the family; I see and hear them; they climb
upon my knees, their little arms around my neck; you
know how dearly I love them," 11

As they doubled Cape Horn, the boat, which until then
had stood the sea extremely well, all but foundered.
"From the 226. to the 3oth of March," writes Father
Vercruysse, "we experienced a furious hurricane which
tore even the furled sails into ribbons, and drove the boat
about at the whim of the wind. Mountains of water
towered above us. The captain averred it was the severest
storm he had ever encountered in his thirty years at sea.
The hatches were battened down one entire week, and we
hardly dared creep out on deck even for an instant to
gaze upon the terrible spectacle. Death stared us in the
face. On the 3ist the waters calmed, and we breathed
freely once more: but April ist found the storm again in
full blast, the wind driving us steadily upon the rock-
bound coast of Patagonia, about a mile distant. All
except the Sisters remained on deck, every eye fixed on the
rocks threatening us with immediate destruction. Sud-
denly the captain's ciy, 'We are lost! All is over!' broke
the suspense. But God seemed to say: 'I am watching
over you/

" Father De Smet sought out the nuns, who like our-
selves were imploring the help of our blessed Mother.
He offered to hear their confessions, telling them that
nothing short of a miracle could save the vessel: ship-
wreck was inevitable. These good women calmly and
cheerfully replied that God would dispose of their lives
as He chose; that they awaited with resignation the accom-
plishment of His divine will.

"It was eleven o'clock at night; the waves were heard
breaking upon the reefs, when suddenly the wind veered to
another quarter, driving us out to sea. Had the wind not

11 Letter to Francis De Smet, St. Mary of Willamette, Oct. 9, 1844.

160 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

changed just at that moment we certainly should have
perished." 12

With the calming of the sea, the Infatigable resumed her
northerly course, stopping at Valparaiso and Callao.
While the vessel was in port, the missionaries visited
Santiago and Lima, where they received a warm welcome
from the religious orders. The captain hoped to make
Vancouver in twenty-five days, but he reckoned without
contrary winds. Forty days passed, and yet no land in
sight. Provisions began to run low, and rations, that
according to Father De Smet had never been good or
abundant, were now cut down. The crew grumbled;
the captain fell ill; still more, another hurricane threatened
to wreck the ship. Father De Smet exhorted his band
to storm heaven with their prayers. "We conceived the
happy idea of making a vow, and sought refuge in Mary's
immaculate heart, resolved to spend the following day in
retirement and examination of conscience.

"The fury of the storm lashed the sea into mountainous
waves that rose twenty-five feet above the vessel. De-
struction seemed imminent. We all made good confessions
and confidently placed our lives in God's hands. Toward
evening I went on deck and saw a sight that rejoiced
my heart. Floating on the water was a seaweed called
Adam's needle, which indicated the proximity of land.
Gradually the wind subsided, and once more we took
heart and hoped to see land soon.

"On July 28th the shores of Oregon loomed before us.
What joy! What transports of delight! What words of
thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips ! What emotion
at the sight of this vast country, where, for lack of mission-
aries, thousands of men are born, grow to manhood, and die
in the darkness of infidelity ! But now through our efforts,
the greater number, if not all, shall know the truth." 13

But the spirit of evil fought desperately to delay the
landing of those whose conquest it dreaded. "The entry
into the Columbia is a difficult and dangerous passage,
even with charts, and our captain had none. As we ad-
vanced, breakers indicated the presence of a sand-bar

11 Account of the voyage addressed to Father Broeckaert, Lima, May 20, 1844.
11 Letter to Francis De Smet, St, Mary of Willamette, Oct. 9, 1844.

SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE 161

several miles in length : a reef of rocks running across the
river seemed to impede our passage. 14 It was July 3ist,
the feast of St. Ignatius, and this coincidence heartened
us and renewed our courage. Before long a launch taking-
soundings came alongside the Infatigable. The sailors'
serious faces boded no good news : one hardly dared ques-
tion them, but the lieutenant informed our captain that
he had crossed the bar in five fathoms of water. Our
sails were then set and we advanced slowly under a light
breeze. The sky was blue and the sun shone in all its*
glory; not for a long time had we had such a day. It-
only wanted now our safe entry into the river to make it
the happiest one of the whole journey. As the boat ad-
vanced our prayers redoubled.

"The captain began taking soundings. Two sailors.
lashed to the side of the vessel called out : ' Seven fathoms !'
Every five minutes the same call was heard: then, 'Six
fathoms! Five fathoms!' the number always decreasing.
When 'Two and a half fathoms!' was heard, hope fled.
But God was trying our faith: He had not willed our
destruction. The cry, 'Four fathoms !' bade us hope again :
we had still two miles of breakers to pass, and again our
hearts sank when we heard 'Three fathoms!' At this-,
juncture the lieutenant informed our captain we were out
of the channel. 'Nonsense!' replied our skipper. 'The
Infatigable can pass anywhere! Go ahead!'

"Heaven was certainly with us, for without help from
on high, neither the captain's skill, nor the soundness of
the boat, nor the discipline of the sailors could have saved
us from certain death. We were over three hundred feet
out of our course in the as yet untraveled and uncharted 1
southern channel. 15 God seemed to wish to teach us that
although He exposes us to danger, His power can save us.
Blessed be His name!" 16

14 Since then the Government has facilitated the entrance into the Co-
lumbia by parallel jetties, which concentrate the flow over the bar, and'
scour out a deep channel.

16 "At a short distance from its mouth the Columbia divides into two-
branches, forming two channels. The northerly one in the vicinity of Cape*
Disappointment is the one we should have taken; the southern one is avoided
because of the breakers that bar its entrance. We were certainly the first,
and probably the last to enter it." (Father De Smet, letter quoted.)

w Letter to Francis De Smet, Oct. 9, 1844.

CHAPTER X

THE OREGON MISSIONS (1844-1846)

"The Jesuits and Sisters of Notre Dame at Willamete St. Francis Xavier's
Mission Father De Smet, Organizer of the Missions How He En-
couraged and Aided His Fellow-Missionaries St. Ignatius' Mission at
the Kalispels; Father Adrian Hoecken The Sacred Heart Mission at
the Coeur-d' Al&nes; Fathers Point and Joset Louise Sighouin
Visit to St. Mary's; Fathers Mengarini and Zerbinati Jesuits' Success
at Willamette; Fathers Accolti, Ravalli, Vercruysse, and De Vos
Father Nobili is Sent to New Caledonia Father De Smet's Visit to the
Chaudi&res, Flatbows, and Kootenais The Missions of St. Paul,
Colville, St. Peter of the Lakes, St. Francis Regis, the Assumption, and
the Immaculate Heart of Mary Father Ravalli Goes to Join Father
Hoecken at St. Ignatius' Mission How Account for Father De Smet's
Success? A Would-be Murderer who Became a Model Neophyte.

BISHOP BLANCHET was impatiently awaiting Father
De Smet's return: when the news came that his boat
had arrived, he left St. Paul's Mission and hastened to
Vancouver. The Catholics, though busy with the harvest,
abandoned their fields, and embarking in boats, descended
the Willamette; each one wished to be the first to greet
the missionary and bring him back in triumph. Upon
their return, a Te Deum was intoned in the mission
church, and next day, the feast of the Assumption, hymns
of thanksgiving were sung in honor of the Queen of heaven,
who once more had proved herself to merit the title of
"Star of the sea."

The Sisters took immediate possession of the convent
that had been built for them on the right bank of the
Willamette, though it was not wholly completed. Doors
.and windows were lacking, but the Sisters took a hand with
saw and plane, and even undertook the glazing and paint-
-ing. After a few weeks, St. Mary's Convent opened its
doors.

The Indians and Canadians were so eager for instruction,

THE OREGON MISSIONS 163

that while awaiting the completing of the building, the
Sisters held classes for women and children in the open
air, and prepared them for first communion. Their ages
ranged from fifteen to sixty years. Many of these poor
creatures came from great distances, carrying a few days'
provisions with them and sleeping at night in the forest. 1

St. Joseph's College for young men was simultaneously
opened by Father Bolduc, a late arrival from Canada.
Hearing of this, the Protestants quietly dispersed. "It is
significant, " writes Father De Smet, "that the same boat
that brought us to Vancouver is taking the Protestant
ministers and their wives to the Sandwich Islands, whence
they will return to the United States. After years of
fruitless efforts to draw Catholic children from their faith,
they have closed their school and quit the country, leaving
us a free field." 2

The Jesuits were desirous of establishing a training-
school for young men near the Willamette, which would
.serve also as a central depot for provisioning the Rocky
Mountain Missions, and for this purpose Bishop Blanchet
offered them land. A salubrious climate, fertile soil,
forests, and a diversified and imposing landscape made the
situation a particularly advantageous one for the Jesuit
foundation. Father De Smet beheld in it a second Floris-
sant. "I hope," writes he, "that after the example of
St. Stanislaus' Mission, whose influence now radiates over
a large portion of Missouri, in Ohio and Louisiana, to the
Rocky Mountains, and the extreme western boundaries
of America, there will be established here one day a
novitiate for missionaries who and may the day be not
far distant! will labor among the different tribes of this
vast territory, carrying the torch of faith." 3

Work was begun at once, the missionaries and Canadians
rivaling each other in untiring labors, with the result that

1 CL Notice sur le Territoire et stir la mission de I'OrSgon, suivie de
quelques lettres des Soeurs de Notre-Dame, (Stabiles a S.-Patd du Willa-
mette, Bruxelles, 1847.

2 To the Mother General of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Aug. 28, 1844.

3 To Francis De Smet, Oct. 9, 1844. The missionary's dream was only
partly realized; the great distance of the missions from one another, and
the hardships and difficulties of the journeys, rendered the new foundation
impracticable; after a few years it was abandoned by the Fathers.

164 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

at the end of a few months the house was opened under
the title of St. Francis Xavier.

Father De Smet set out once more to cross the wilder-
ness. An extraordinary initiative characterized his apos-
tolic labors. Having once conceived and developed his-
plans, he would then choose a site for a new station, lay
it out, and start the work. When all difficulties had been
surmounted, he sought other fields of activity, leaving to
his colleagues the joy and satisfaction of completing the
mission. From the end of 1844 to the close of 1846 was-
doubtless the most fruitful period of his life. During these
years he crossed and recrossed the Western United States,
many times, going from one tribe to another, instructing
one and sustaining another, establishing new "reductions,"
and departing, once the foundation was laid and the direc-
tion of affairs could be left to others.

While the Fathers lately arrived from Europe were oc-
cupied in studying the Indian language and in ministering-
to the Christians on the Willamette, Father De Smet
journeyed across the mountains to winter with the Plat-
heads. On November 6th he entered the Kalispel valley,
where he found Father Adrian Hoecken carrying on the
work he had begun in 1841.

* 'I was received in camp with the ringing of bells and dis-
charge of musketry. The accounts the young missionary-
gave me of the tribe show the work of grace in a people
sincerely seeking truth.

"'We have no brilliant qualities of mind,' the Indians
told him, 'but in default of intelligence we possess docility.
Now that a Black Robe has come among us, we listen to
him and obey him; his orders are executed without
delay. '" 4

The missionary was energetically seconded in his apos-
tolic labors by the old chief, Loyola. "So long as a breath
of life remains in me," he said, "every man here must live
uprightly." The spirit of fraternity and mutual respect
existing among the members of this tribe recall those happy
days spoken of in Holy Writ, when Christians had but one
heart and one soul.

4 Letter to Madam Parmentier of Brooklyn, St. Ignatius' Mission, July
25, 1846.

THE OREGON MISSIONS 165

But winter was coining on, and our missionary must get
to St. Mary's before the cold set in. Father De Smet had
hardly taken leave of the Kalispels when he encountered a
deputation from the Coeur d'Alnes, who had come to beg
him to visit their tribe. He accepted, not having the heart
to refuse them, and hoped he would still be able to cross
the Bitter Root Mountains before the trail had become
impassable.

Father Point had been two years with the Coeur d'Alnes.
He had arrived there the first Friday of the month and,
on that day, had placed the mission under the protection
of the Sacred Heart. "From that moment," he writes,
"a Christian spirit animated the inhabitants of this happy
valley. The nightly gatherings, sacrilegious ceremonies, and
diabolical apparitions formerly so frequent, have now been
done away with. Gambling, hitherto the absorbing occu-
pation of the Indians, has also been abandoned. Mar-
riage, which for centuries knew neither unity nor indis-
solubility, has been restored to its pristine purity. From
Christmas until the feast of the Purification, the mission-
ary's fire was made with the remains of their sorcery." 5

When Father Point arrived at the mission, he had drawn
the plan of the village, and the Indians had set to work to
fell trees, dig ponds, make roads, and till the soil. A
church was erected in the center of the settlement, and
the religious celebrations acquainted the new converts
"with the solemnity and appeal of the new faith.

Father Joset, who came shortly to share Father Point's
labors, was destined to pass many years of fruitful apos-
tolic work in the mountains. 6 The neophytes' fervor daily
increased, and Father Point tells us that "For several
months not one grave offence has been committed in the
Sacred Heart village, at least not among those who have
received baptism," 7

6 Letter to one of the Jesuit Fathers, quoted by Father De Smet: "Mission
de I'OrSgon," p. 240, * *?g."

6 An account of Father Joset is found in The Woodstock Letters, Nov.,
1901, p. 207.

7 "It requires exceptional virtue on the part of the aged to become^ the
pupils of their young children, and on the part of the children to be patient
and serious preceptors of their aged fathers; on the part of mothers of families,
who, not content with giving their children the food they deprive them-
selves of, "pass long evenings in making known the divine word to relatives,

166 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The faith and piety of this mission was due in large
measure to Louise Sighouin, a zealous Christian baptized
by Father De Smet in 1842. Although a daughter of the
chief of the Coeur d'Al&nes, she had left all to devote herself
to the service of the missions. "I am ready," she said,
"to follow the Black Robes to the end of the earth; my
sole desire is to know the Great Spirit, to serve Him faith-
fully, and to adore Him with all my heart." Not only was
she an example of piety and modesty to the tribe, but she
spent hours every day teaching the children and old
people and in visiting the poor and nursing the sick.
Once she recoiled at the sight of a dreadful ulcer, then,
filled with compunction for what she considered a grave
fault, she returned to the invalid every day for two months-
and, like a veritable Sister of Charity, dressed the wound.
Nor did she hesitate to make war on disorderly conduct.
She faced the most redoubtable sorcerers, denouncing them
as impostors, and through threatening them with God's
judgments, finally brought the culprits, trembling and
contrite, to the feet of the missionary.

When Father De Smet arrived at the mission, the
Coeur d'Al&nes were preparing for their first communion,

friends, and even strangers, eager to hear them; for young men, who repeat
a hundred times to their less intelligent companions, things the meaning
of which they grasped at first hearing, and who spend whole nights in teach-
ing the deaf and blind, who were the despair of the Black Robe. And chiefs,
true fathers and pastors of their people, rise at dawn, and even in the night
in cold, inclement weather, to arouse souls from their torpor. Hence is it
astonishing that the faith and piety of these humble souls should have
more than once obtained extraordinary favors?

"One morning," says Father Point, "upon leaving the church I met
an Indian woman, who said, 'So-and-so is not well/ She was not yet a
catechumen and I said I would go to see her. An hour later the same person,
her sister, came to me saying she was dead. I ran to the tent, hoping she
might be mistaken, and found a crowd of relatives around the bed, repeating,
'She is dead she has not breathed for some time.' To assure myself,
I leaned over the body; there was no sign of life. I reproved these excellent
people for not telling me at once of the gravity of the situation, adding, ' May
God forgive me! 1 Then, rather impatiently, I said, 'Pray!' and all fell on
their knees and prayed devoutly.

"I again leaned over the supposed corpse and said, 'The Black Robe is
liere: do you wish him to baptize you? 1 At the word baptism I saw a
slight- tremor of the lower lip; then both lips moved, maJdng me certain
that she understood. She had already been instructed, so I at once baptized
her, and she rose from her bier, making the sign of the cross. . . . To-
day she is out hunting and is fully persuaded that she died at the time I
have recounted." (Letter quoted.)

THE OREGON MISSIONS 167

which they were to make in a few weeks. Night and
day the camp resounded with prayers and hymns. Such
piety and edifying conduct were a great consolation to
Father De Smet, and his joy would have been great could
he have led to the holy table those upon whom he had
lately poured the waters of baptism: but it had been
snowing several days and he could not delay, as he had
to cross the mountains that lay between him and the
country of the Flatheads.

He set out from the Sacred Heart Mission with an
escort of four Indian guides, who were to accompany
him as far as St. Mary's. The season was already far
advanced. It snowed and rained incessantly, and torrents,
ever increasing in volume rushed down the mountainsides*
After marching for eight days he was forced to return.

"In a night/ 1 writes Father De Smet, ' 'tiny rivulets be-
came raging torrents, arresting my progress at every step.
At the price of great suffering, many falls and duckings,
we finally reached the St. Ignatius River. It had risen
more than ten feet, carrying along with it huge trees,
which rendered my passage extremely dangerous. Once
I sank with my mule, but I clung to the beast and he
dragged me to the opposite bank.

"At night we camped in the shadow of a huge cross
erected by an Indian chief. As the river had not yet
overflowed its banks, we retired for the night with a
certain feeling of security, but before morning one of
the men awoke to find his legs in water; putting his head
out of the tent he gave the alarm. It was none too soon,
for we found ourselves in the midst of a huge lake, the
land being inundated for miles.

"Here again, as on former occasions, Providence came to
our aid. Two canoes had been left at the place of our
encampment, and thus we were able to take refuge, with
our arms and baggage, upon a hill two miles distant. I
sent one of my guides to the mission to inform them of my
mishap. Two days later five canoes commanded by two
chiefs came to my assistance and brought us back to the
village." 8

The Indians blessed the accident that had given them
8 Journal of the autumn of 1844.

168 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

back the missionary, but the intrepid Father De Smet did
not abandon his project. Now that the mountains were
impassable, he determined to reach St. Mary's through
the Kalispel valley, and it looked for a time as though
he might succeed. But as it was then the middle of
December, the Clarke River began to freeze over, and the
Indians in charge of the canoes declared that to continue
was to advance to certain death. Father Mengarini had
written that he had nearly perished in the flood and had
lost twelve horses in the forest. Then only did Father
De Smet decide to return to the Kalispels and to wait
until spring before attempting to reach the Flatheads.
"The Indians put their best tent at my disposal and
endeavored in every way to render my stay in their midst
as agreeable as circumstances would permit. On Christ-
mas day one hundred and twenty-four adults received
baptism: a few minutes before midnight a pistol-shot
rang out in the night, followed by a discharge of musketry
in honor of the Child Jesus, and three hundred voices in
the forest intoned in the language of the tribe that beauti-
ful hymn:

"The Almighty's glory all things proclaim !"

Immediately, the throng of worshipers crowded into the
"humble chapel constructed of trunks of trees, straw, and
bark. Pine branches, interspersed with wreaths and gar-
lands of green, decorated the interior, and above the
simple altar hung a paper star with a profusion of streamers
that attracted the eyes of the Indians.

"I celebrated High Mass at midnight, at which the con-
gregation chanted Christmas hymns, and never did the
words of the Gloria seem more appropriate: 'Peace on
earth* to men of good will.* Breakfast followed the Mass,
and the joyousness of the reunion resembled the love-
feasts of the early Christians. Later the catechumens
presented themselves in the church to receive baptism.
The old men and women I had baptized two years before,
still preserving their baptismal innocence, acted as god-
fathers and godmothers.

"Not in vain did the priest pronounce those sublime
'words of the ritual: 'Receive the white garment which

THE OREGON MISSIONS 169

you will bring without blemish to God's tribunal, that you
may enter into eternal life/ for he had the certainty that
the larger part of the catechumens would preserve their
innocence until death. When asked later on if they had
offended God and if their consciences were free of all re-
proach, they replied, 'How can you ask, Father! In
baptism I renounced evil. Is it not fitting that I should
shun it? Even the thought of displeasing the Great Spirit
makes me tremble/

"In the evening solemn benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament was given for the first time. After this cere-
mony, fifty couples, fathers and mothers of families, some
of them over eighty years of age, came forward to renew
their marriage vows. I could not restrain the tears, so
deeply was I affected by the sincerity and affection with
which they promised henceforth to have but one heart.

"After the last instruction, prayers of thanksgiving were
said for the favors received during the day, and although
it was getting late, prayers continued to be said and
hymns sung in every lodge." 9

At the first sign of spring Father De Smet set out again
for St. Mary's, where this time he arrived without ad-
venture and was received by Fathers Mengarini and
Zerbinati. Great was their joy in welcoming the founder
of the mission! A missionary's life in the mountains was
a,n isolated one. Perhaps once a year he got news of the
outside world, and then only at the price of a dangerous
journey to Vancouver, whither he went under escort to
provision the camp. It even happened that he did not
receive letters that had been sent him; the letter from
France transferring Father Point to Canada was three years
in reaching him.

Father De Smet regaled the missionaries with accounts
of his visit to Europe and to Rome; he recounted his re-
ception by the Father General and by Gregory XVI,
who had deigned to bless the mission in Oregon. He
recalled the incidents of his recent voyage from Antwerp
to Willamette, the founding of St. Francis Xavier's, and
lastly the religious celebration at which he had assisted
among the Cceur d'Alnes and Kalispels.

9 Letter to Madam Parmentier, St. Ignatius, July 25, 1846.
12

170 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

The Flatheads also had remained faithful to their baptis-
mal vows. The whole tribe approached the holy table
at the Mass said on Easter by Father De Smet, and a
choir of young men under Father Mengarini's direction
sang several songs by the best German and Italian com-
posers.

St. Francis Borgia's mission of the Pend d'Oreilles 10
had been annexed to St. Mary's Mission, and three hundred
of the tribe, mostly adults, had presented themselves for
baptism. Upon their lined and scarred foreheads was
poured the water that confers eternal life, and these souls
were gained for God.

Father Hoecken was awaiting Father De Smet's return
before beginning the foundation of a "reduction" that
was to be placed under the patronage of St. Ignatius;
so with many regrets the indefatigable apostle took leave
of St. Mary's Mission to return to the Kalispels. With
the consent of the chiefs, he chose a vast plain bordered
with cedars and pines. The fertile soil, abundant pas-
turage, rich quarries, and a waterfall, from which power
could be obtained both for a flour and a saw mill, made it
a most favorable situation for the new foundation.

Father De Smet drew the plans of the village, superin-
tended the beginning of the, work, and then went by
water to Vancouver to provision the new colony. Swollen
by the melting snow, the river had become a raging torrent
in which four Americans had recently been engulfed.
The missionary ran the risk of being caught in a whirlpool
similar to the one in- which his crew had been lost three
years before; but trusting in Providence he embarked, and
five days later arrived safely at Vancouver, where he was
received by Father Nobili. That zealous missionary had
learned the language of the country and was exercising a
fruitful ministry among the employees of the fort and the
neighboring Indians.

10 The Pend d'Oreilles or Kalispels comprised, as we have seen, two prin-
cipal groups: the Kalispels of the Mountains, belonging to St. Francis Borgia's
Mission, north of St. Mary's, and the Kalispels of the Bay, belonging to
St, Ignatius' Mission, near the mouth of the Clarke. The two missions
were united in 1854 near the Flathead Lake under the name of St. Ignatius.

In order to avoid confusion we will continue to call the Pend d'Oreilles
the Indians of the Mountains; those of the Bay, the Kalispels.

THE OREGON MISSIONS 171

The two missionaries traveled up the Willamette to
St. Francis* Xavier's Mission, where they were warmly
welcomed by the Fathers, who expressed their joy at
meeting once again their intrepid chief, Father De Smet.
He ' had crossed the whole of Oregon during the past
eight months, preparing for each priest his field of apostolic
work.

Father Accolti was the Superior of an active band of
missionaries, while Father Ravalli's knowledge of medicine
rendered great service to the sick of that region. Father
Vercruysse had founded a new parish and built a church
for the Canadians of the Grand Prairie, south of St.
Francis Xavier's Mission, and Father De Vos had made
many converts among the Protestants.

Adding these results to those obtained by the Fathers
of the mountain missions and the Canadian missionaries,
Father De Smet calculated that over six thousand souls
in Oregon had received baptism in six years. "The
grain of mustard seed," he writes, "grows apace, and
extends its branches over this heretofore sterile and
neglected land." 11

In 1842 Father Demers, assistant to Bishop Blanchet,
made a journey to New Caledonia, six hundred miles north
of Vancouver, 12 during which he baptized seven hun-
dred children. Since that time the inhabitants had
ardently desired religious instruction, and although with-
out a priest, they built three churches in the hope that
one day a missionary would come to settle among them.
To this mission Father Nobili was appointed, and proved
himself worthy of the confidence of his Superior.

Born in Rome, young Nobili entered the Society of Jesus
at the age of sixteen. Through his literary talent he soon
achieved distinction, and after his ordination obtained
permission to consecrate his life to the conversion of the
Indians. We shall soon see the wonderful fruit of his apos-
tolic labors. When June was drawing to a close, Father De
Smet started for the mountains with a train of eleven
horses, laden with plows, spades, hoes, saws, and every
sort of implement for St. Ignatius' Mission. In crossing

11 Letter to Bishop Hughes, St. Francis Xavier's Mission, June 20, 1845.

12 New Caledonia, here spoken of, is to-day British Columbia.

172 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

the Cascade Range, he came upon heaps of bones of dead
animals, the melancholy remains of a caravan that had
been lost in the snow or buried in an avalanche.

The following month found him among the Kalispels.
During his absence the neophytes had increased to more
than four hundred. Several wooden houses had been
built, the material prepared for constructing a church, and
a large tract of farming land was already enclosed. The
men were adepts in the use of the plow and axe, and it
was evident the Indians had abandoned the nomad life
for the regular pursuits of the colony.

The future of this " reduction" was assured, and the
time had now come to seek out and carry the Gospel to
new tribes.

Three years before, Father De Smet had met, near
Fort Colville, Indians athirst for the knowledge of the
Great Spirit. Hence he repaired first to this tribe, taking
with him several Kalispels to act as choristers and cate-
chists.

"Near the Falls of the Columbia," he writes, "from
eight to nine hundred Indians, Chaudi&res, Okinagans,
Sinpoils, and Zingomenes, had gathered for the salmon-
fishing. Upon a rock overlooking the river I erected my
little bark chapel, around which were grouped the Indians'
huts, like a covey seeking shelter under the mother's wing.

"Never were people so hungry for the divine word,
and to nourish and sustain such happy dispositions I
gave several instructions, which were listened to with
eager attention. I chose the feast of St. Ignatius for the
closing of the religious exercises, when over a hundred
children and eleven old people were baptized. Many
of the latter, who were carried on buffalo hides, seemed
only to await this grace before going to rest in the bosom
of God.

"The oldest neophyte, nearly a hundred years old and
blind, said to me: 'My life has been a long one, and for
many years I have wept without ceasing for the loss of
tny children and friends. I am now alone, and live as a
stranger among my tribe, with only sad and bitter memo-
ries for companions. Yet I have one consolation I have

THE OREGON MISSIONS 173

always avoided bad company, my hands are clean of thiev-
ing, quarrels, and murder. To-day the Great Spirit has
taken pity on me; I am happy and I offer Him my heart
and life.' " 13

Here Father De Smet founded a mission which he called
St. Paul's. Another one, St. Peter's, was established a little
farther north for the Indians inhabiting the lake regions.

On August 4th our missionary left the Falls of the
Columbia, accompanied by several half-breeds who wished
him to inspect a place they had chosen for a Christian
foundation between the St. Ignatius and the Sacred Heart
Missions. Many hunters wished to settle there with their
families. Finding the site a favorable one, Father De
Smet drew up the plans for a new "reduction," which he
named St. Francis Regis.

There remained the Flatbows and the Kootenais, whom
no priest had ever visited, so he decided to go to them and
prepare the way for missionaries. After hewing his path
through dense forests, frightful marshes, and swollen
rivers, he finally arrived at the first of these camps. 14
The Flatbows numbered about ninety families. Thanks
to a worthy Canadian who had lived among them for many
years, they were already acquainted with the great truths
of religion, they knew several hymns in French and in their
native tongue, and all were desirous of becoming Christians.

"This year," writes the missionary, "as in preceding
ones I have passed among the Indians, the feast of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was for me a day of
happiness and consolation. I celebrated the first Mass
ever said in this part of the world, and afterward baptized
ninety-two children and ten adults advanced in years.
In the evening the cross was erected, the standard of the
Saviour being planted on the shore of the lake to the
salvo of eighty guns. At its foot, the entire tribe offered

13 Letter to Father Joset, Sept. 9, 1845.

14 " The Flatbows are ignorant of industry, the arts, and science, and share
in common the fruits of the earth. Like all Indians, they are improvident,
and are either reveling in abundance or on the verge of famine. One day
they feast until gorged, then for several succeeding days abstain entirely from
food. These two extremes are equally pernicious, judging from the cadaver-
ous, blank faces I see among them." (Letter to Bishop Hughes, Station
of the Assumption, Aug. 17, 1845.)

174 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

their hearts- to the Great Spirit, promising inviolable
attachment to our holy religion, and they destroyed what
remained of their ancient superstitions." 15

This station was called the Assumption, and here, as
everywhere that Father De Smet penetrated, civilization
marched hand in hand with faith, for he made these Indians
understand the advantages of tilling the soil, and promised
to furnish them seeds and farming implements. Thanking
God for the wonders of grace worked in their souls, he
directed his steps to the country of the Kootenais.

"This," says our traveler, "is the ne pins ultra of the
wilderness! The forest is so dense, that if the guide gets a
few steps ahead, he is completely hidden. In order not to
lose one's way one must abandon himself to the instinct
of the horse, who follows the tracks of the wild beasts
through the wood. Had I not resorted to this shift, I
would have lost my road completely. These somber
places engender gloomy thoughts; one seems condemned
to never emerge from these labyrinthine haunts of bears
and panthers.

"The path winds in the neighborhood of a stream,
which follows in one place a mountain gorge, or rather a
precipice of appalling height. Amid such obstacles one
must travel for a distance of eight miles, scaling, by the
aid of a pickaxe, steep declivities, awe-inspiring heights, and
long and narrow sloping banks. At each step the danger is
so evident that the blood freezes in one's veins and a cold
sweat breaks out. After each crossing I thanked God as
though I had just escaped death and its agonies." 16

Father De Smet had met, in the spring of 1842, several
Kootenais families living on the borders of the Clarke
River, hence his present arrival was greeted by a discharge
of musketry and lively manifestations of joy. "They
showed me their diaries, which were long, narrow, oblong
boards or sticks, upon which they had marked the days
and weeks since they had first met me. Forty-one months
and some days had already been counted."

From the Canadian who had lived for years with the
Flatbows, the Kootenais had learned the first elements of

15 Letter quoted.

16 Letter to Bishop Hughes, Flatbow [Zootenai] River, Sept. 3, 1845.

THE OREGON MISSIONS 175

religion. 17 They sang hymns, said morning and evening
prayers in common, and observed strictly the Lord's Day.

"On the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary/ 1
writes our missionary, "I sang High Mass, and in God's
name took possession of the new land visited for the first
time by a Catholic priest. Afterward I baptized one
hundred and five souls, of whom twenty were adults.
Following the order of ceremonies I had observed with the
Flatbows, the day ended with the planting of the cross.
It was raised on high, and saluted by a discharge of all the
guns in the camp. Then came the tribe in procession,
headed by their chiefs, who prostrated themselves at the
foot of the tree of salvation, and in a loud voice offered
their hearts to Him whom they called their Master, the
divine Pastor of souls. This station was called the Im-
maculate Heart of Mary." 18

It is difficult to estimate at their full value the prodig-
ious labors of our missionary. During six weeks' travel in <
an unknown country, through dense forests wherein he
made his way with the utmost difficulty, he had baptized
over three hundred souls and had founded five new sta-
tions. In order to assure the future of these Christians,
Father Ravalli was sent to share Father Hoecken's labors.
The new posts were grouped in a relatively small area
around St. Ignatius' Mission, thus enabling the Fathers
to go from one to the other to complete the instruction of
the neophytes.

Nearly all the Oregon tribes now had missionaries, and
those who were deprived of a resident priest were visited
by the neighboring Fathers. The valleys were dotted
with charming villages, and from the center of each rose
"the lodge of prayer." The evening breezes wafted melo-
dious Christian hymns that delighted and astonished the
approaching traveler. Before the end of another year,
the increasing number of the faithful necessitated the
foundation of two new dioceses. 19

17 The Flatbows and Eootenais were two tribes belonging to the Skaki
family. 18 Letter quoted.

w ln July, 1846, Bishop Blanchet was appointed Archbishop of Oregon
City. His suffragans were Bishop Demers of Vancouver Island, and Bishop
A. M. A. Blanchet (his brother), first Bishop of Walla Walla. The last-
named See was transferred in 1850 to NesquaHy.

I 7 6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

With his soul inundated with joy, Father De Smet
thanked God for having chosen him to be the instrument
of His designs. "I believe firmly in the hundredfold
promised by Our Saviour. What we have given up in this
world is as nothing compared to what we have found and
experienced in the wilderness." 20

How is the phenomenal success of these missions to be
explained? Many of the Indians possessed admirable
natural virtues; they but needed to know Christianity to
embrace it. 21 Even the most degraded had preserved
a high ideal of the greatness of the power of God. Blas-
phemy was unknown among them: not presuming to ad-
dress the "Great Spirit," they entreated their manitous
to intercede for them. Superstition if you will, but be-
neath it was a religious sentiment which the missionary
had only to enlighten and direct. None held back through
false pride or prejudice. Even the Sioux, the proudest
of the Western tribes, compared themselves to children
bereft of a father's guiding hand, and to the ignorant
animals of the prairie, and with touching humility begged
the missionary to "take pity on them."

Such elevated, upright souls could, moreover, appreciate
the chastity of the Catholic priesthood. With rare dis-
cernment, the Indian understood that, belonging as he
does to all men, a priest cannot give himself to one per-
son, and not for an instant did they hesitate to choose the
Black Robe, who had consecrated his life to them, rather
than the minister in lay dress, installed in a comfortable
home with wife and children, devoted to the interests of
his family, giving only the time that remained to dis-
tributing Bibles. 22

Father De Smet was a man specially chosen by God to
be an apostle to these tribes. An intrepid traveler, loving
adventure, he could, thanks to his robust constitution,

20 Letter to Madam Pannentier, St. Ignatius, July 25, 1846.

21 "The North American Indian is the noblest type of pagan that exists.
He acknowledges a Great Spirit; he believes in immortality; he has a lively
intelligence and clear mind; is brave and intrepid, and so long as he is not
deceived, is faithful to Ms word. He loves his children passionately, and
dies gladly for Ms tribe." (Rev. H. B. Whipple, Protestant Bishop of Minne-
sota, quoted by Helen Hunt Jackson, in "A Century of Dishonor," p. 7.)

22 Cf. Marshall, " The Christian Missions," Vol. ii, p. 300, et se&

THE OREGON MISSIONS 177

travel months at a time, eat all kinds of food, sleep in the
open, and share in every way the rude life of the mountain
Indian. Yet, more than his physical strength, did his
moral qualities assure his success. Although as a rule he
spoke only through an interpreter, he soon acquired an
influence over the Indians that amounted to fascination.
The dignity and sweetness of his manner, his calm assur-
ance, the loyalty of his nature and compassionate goodness,,
merited for him the significant names that obtain even
to-day among the tribes: "The Great Black Robe,"'
"The white man of gentle speech/' "The Indian's best
friend." Though gentle in nature, he had energy and
strength of character, and with these qualities he con-
quered the most stubborn natures.

While residing at one of the mountain missions, an over-
bearing, sullen Indian, who was feared on account of his
gigantic strength, swore to kill the missionary, and do.
away with the religion he preached. One day Father
De Smet started off on horseback to visit a neighboring
post, armed only with his breviary and his riding-whip.
Suddenly, he saw the enraged Indian descending upon him,,
brandishing his tomahawk and emitting war-whoops.
Nothing would have been easier than to flee, but that would
have meant a triumph for the fanatic. In a flash the
Father sprang to the ground, and before his adversary
could strike, gave him a blow with his fist that knocked
the tomahawk out of his hand. The Indian stooped to
get it, and as he did so Father De Smet seized him, threw
him, and, holding him on the ground, administered a good
cowhiding.

Blind with shame and fury, the would-be assassin
struggled to free himself, but in vain. Then he begged for
mercy, swearing to treat the Black Robe henceforth with
the greatest respect. Father De Smet promised him his
liberty upon condition that he would himself tell the
whole tribe that he had been beaten by the Black Robe.
Willy-nilly, the proud warrior was obliged to submit.
He rose, but the missionary kept his hatchet, saying that
if he wished to get it back he must come himself in a few
days to the mission to fetch it.

The Indian was not yet converted, but the way was pre-

178 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

pared. A week later he approached the mission and asked
to speak to Father De Smet. The latter received him
most kindly, ordered refreshments to be served, and
encouraged him to talk about his victories and the number
of scalps he had taken from the enemy. Gradually the
Indian's face brightened. Then the conversation was
changed to the subject of religion. The missionary
exposed the absurdity of superstitious practices, and re-
vealed the great truths of the Catholic faith. The Indian
acknowledged he had been vanquished a second time, and
asked to become a neophyte.

For several weeks the new catechumen faithfully at-
tended the missionary's instructions, finally receiving
baptism, and becoming one of the best Christians of the
tribe. 23

23 This incident is related in the Precis Historiques, Brussels, 1873, P
446, by a Father who heard it from Father De Smet's own lips.

CHAPTER XI

THE QUEST OP THE BLACKFEET (1845-1846)

St. Mary's Mission Threatened Father De Smet Goes in Search of the
Blackfeet to Induce Them to Make Peace Autumn in the Rocky
Mountains Mirabilia opera Domini Coming upon the Camp of the
Assiniboins A Feast with the Indians "Like a Fish on a Hook"
Father De Smet Arrives at Rocky Mountain House A Band of
Blackfeet Come to Join Him The Dangerous Interpreter The In-
accessible Tribe The Missionary Decides to Pass the Winter at
Fort Edmonton He Visits St. Anne's Mission On a Sledge from
Saskatchewan to Athabasca A Christian Who Had Not Seen a Priest
for Forty Years Crossing the Mountains when the Snow Was Melting
To Reduce His Weight Father De Smet Fasts for Thirty Days-
Descent of the Columbia A Meeting with Father Nobili Journey to
Vancouver and Willamette The Grotesque Indian Progress of the
Missions Victory of the Flatheads over the Crows The Impression
Produced on the Blackfeet Father De Smet's Complete Success
"Exaltation of the Holy Cross" Father Point is Charged to Open a
Mission for the Blackfeet Father De Smet's Return to St. Louis
The Aricaras The Sioux The Missionary's Prodigious Labors
Consoling Results.

TV TEITHER the zeal of the missionaries nor the fervor
IN of the neophytes could assure the future of the new
Christendom, so long as it was exposed to the incursions of
the Blackfeet. The Flatheads were especially menaced,
the yearly buffalo-hunt giving rise to new grievances.
The Blackfeet claimed the exclusive right to hunt upon
the eastern slope of the mountains. The Flatheads main-
tained that their ancestors had always enjoyed this privi-
lege, and furthermore, that so long as a brave of their tribe
could bear arms they would defend their rights. Hence
sanguinary encounters ensued, in which the Flatheads, in-
ferior in numbers, were defeated.

St. Mary's Mission was frequently attacked. In a
country covered with thick underbrush, it was possible for
the Blackfeet to remain hidden for days, waiting to attack
at night any Flatheads returning alone to the village.

i8o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The unfortunate victims were killed and scalped, and the-
assassin escaped unseen. While the warriors were at the-
hunt, the missionaries dared not venture unarmed beyond
the stockades, and night and day a sentinel stood guard,
firing from time to time to intimidate the enemy.

For some time Father De Smet had been thinking of
visiting these formidable neighbors, hoping thereby to-
induce them to bury the war-hatchet and conclude a
lasting peace with the Western tribes. The undertaking-
was perilous in the extreme, for the missionary was without
arms, and, so to speak, without escort. The Blackfeet
were bitter enemies of the whites, whom they murdered
without scruple to satisfy their hate and superstitions.

"What will befall me?" writes Father De Smet when
about to penetrate into the enemy's country. "I confess-
to being assailed by a multitude of fears. Poor human
nature! this frail, timid meus homo is affrighted, and would
have me look back and listen to my dreams. But duty
calls, Forward, march! I trust in God: He can, if it
please Him, soften the wildest natures. I take courage in
the prayers that are being said for my safety. The salva-
tion of souls and the preservation of St. Mary's are at
stake, and no consideration shall turn me from a project
I have cherished since my first visit to the mountains." 1

The Blackfeet lived on the other side of the Rockies-
upon the Upper Missouri. Going in an easterly direction,.
Father De Smet would doubtless have been able to en-
counter them after a few days* travel. But he preferred,
to journey north and across the mountains near the source
of the Saskatchewan, in the hope of discovering new tribes,
to whom he might preach the Gospel. His object was to
take possession in the name of Christ of the entire region,,
as yet untrodden by a Catholic priest.

After founding the mission of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary he started off at the end of August, accompanied by
the Kootenais guides, and a third Indian who was to serve
as hunter and interpreter. But a year was destined to*
pass before he should encounter the Blackfeet. The events
of this journey throw into relief the missionary's daring;
initiative and untiring perseverance.

1 Letter to Bishop Hughes, Sept. 26, 1845.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 181

On September 4th Father De Smet arrived at the source
of the Columbia. He was spellbound with admiration
at the grandeur of the spectacle that lay before him, and
gazed at the stream dashing and foaming down the moun-
tainside, which becomes, in its capricious turns and wind-
ings, the most dangerous of the Western rivers. "The
famous Cheops and Cephren dwindle into insignificance
before these gigantic peats. The natural pyramids of the
Rocky Mountains seem to hurl defiance at all human con-
struction. The hand of God laid the foundations, per-
mitting the elements to fashion them, and through the
centuries they proclaim His glory and power." 2

From there he traveled east through a narrow gorge
into which daylight hardly penetrated. Trees of various
species clung to the mountain's rugged flank, and pines and
cedars cast their dark shadows upon the jagged rocks. The
poplar rustled in the autumn breeze, the slender birch
waved its golden plumes, and the blue turpentine and the
juniper-tree, heavy with its crimson berries, filled the valley
with their perfume.

When he came across plants not indigenous to Belgian
soil, he got off his horse and filled his pockets with seeds
for the friends and benefactors of the missions. "In four
or five years one could fancy one's self in America when
in John's garden, 3 or in Charles' country-place. " The
route lay through dense forests, raging torrents, and beside
appalling precipices. A slight noise at times indicated that
all life was not banished from these solitudes. It was the
deer calling to its mate, or the elk giving the alarm at the
hunter's approach, or a herd of caribou lying couched on
the snow; disturbed by the sound of the horses' hoofs,
they started up and instantly disappeared behind inacces-
sible peaks. Now and then a buck crossed the traveler's
path, his ears cocked and straight as the point of a lance;
he stopped a moment, regarded the caravan, and then
"bounded into a thicket. High above, near the ice-bound
summits, white forms moved as though suspended upon the
flanks of the rock. They were mountain-goats, quietly

2 Letter quoted.

3 He speaks here most likely of Dr. Frederick John Lutens, his brother-
in-law.

i8s THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

browsing upon the edge of precipices, beyond the reach of
the most daring hunter.

Always interested in the habits of animals, Father De
Smet studied with pleasure and interest these inhabitants
of the forest, from the redoubtable grizzly bear " which
in Oregon corresponds to the lion in Africa" to the little
mountain rabbit, "only six inches long, and not of suffi-
cient importance to find mention in natural history.*'
Emerging from the forest, he beheld the aurora borealis.
"Huge shafts of light play across the heavens, straight as
columns, or in undulating waves appear and disappear
in infinitely varied aspects. Then suddenly the whole
horizon is brilliantly iHuminated, the rays uniting at the
zenith to separate in divers forms." 4

Up to this point the journey had gone smoothly. The
missionary thanked God, whose sublime works he had just
admired. "All that one sees and hears in the wilderness is
delightful and instructive; one is impressed, captivated,
and elevated toward the Author of all nature. 'Mirabilia
opera Domini.'"*

On September isth, Father De Smet crossed the range
that separates the waters of the Columbia from the Sas-
katchewan. On the summit he planted a large cross, "The
Cross of Peace," and then began the descent of the eastern
side of the mountain. After three days, he came upon
traces of a band of Indians. Could these be the Blackfeet?
Fear seized his escort, and in the hope of turning the mis-
sionary from his project, they related their dreams of evil
omen. One saw himself devoured by a bear; the other
beheld crows and vultures circling over the missionary's
tent; a third saw blood. To reassure them the jovial
missionary recited a fable.

"Midst the dark horrors of the sable night,
(No idle dream I tell nor fancy's strain)
Thrice rose the red man's shade upon my sight,
Thrice vanished into dusky air again.

"With courage high my panting bosom swells,
Onward I rushed upon the threatening foe,
When, hark! horrific rise the specter's yells,
He points the steel and aims the fatal blow.

4 Letter to Bishop Hughes, from the Cross of Peace, Sept. 15, 1845.

5 Ibid*

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 183

"Guard, sentinel! to arms! to arms! to arms!

Indians! Indians! my voice swelled loud and deep.
The camp is roused at dread of my alarms,
They wake and find that I am sound asleep!" 6

Laughter dispelled fear, and the guides saw how little
importance Father De Smet attached to such dreams.
"Come what may," they cried, "we will never forsake you
until we see you in safety."

"And yet," writes Father De Smet, "I had no illusions
as to the danger, for I found myself in a land, the scene
of bloody encounters, in close proximity to a barbarous
people, the enemies of the white man, whom I may never
see again." 7

For two days they followed the tracks of the unknown
travelers, whose traces became ever more distinct. "I
sent my guides to reconnoiter," says the missionary;
"one of them returned at nightfall, saying he had come
upon 'a small camp of the Assiniboins of the Forest, where
he had been well received and all had manifested a great
desire to see me." The next day he joined the tribe and
journeyed several days with them. ' 'This tribe, numbering
not more than fifty families, live in the woods and the moun-
tains. Agriculture is unknown to them, and they feed on
animal flesh, especially porcupines, which abound in this
region. When short of food they eat roots, seeds, and the
inner bark of the cypress. The chief of the tribe told me
that last winter a man in the extremity of hunger had
eaten his wife and four children."

In default of horses, the Assiniboins possessed a large
number of dogs, and more voracious animals could scarcely
be imagined. "One night I neglected to put stakes around
my tent, and in consequence found myself in the morning
shoeless, my cassock minus a collar, and my breeches short
a leg.

"The Assiniboins are filthy beyond description, and de-
voured by vermin which they themselves eat. 'Are you
not ashamed,' I asked an Indian, 'to eat these insects?'
'They eat me first,' he replied, 'and I have the right to
retaliate.' Wishing to be particularly amiable, one day I

8 Cf . Chittenden-Richardson, pp. 506, 507.

7 Letter to Bishop Hughes, Camp Assiniboin, Sept. 26, 1845.

184 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

assisted at a porcupine feast, a scene that would have
turned the strongest stomach. Failing a table-cloth and
dishes, several of the company took off their leather shirts
shining with grease and laid them on the ground. Upon
this covering the meat was cut and served; to dry their
hands they wiped them on their hair. An old woman whose
face was smeared with blood a sign of mourning pre-
sented me with a wooden bowl of soup. The horn spoon
reeked with grease, which she kindly licked before putting
it in my soup.

"The Indians have a bizarre method of cooking certain
dishes which they, however, consider delicious. The
cooking is done solely by the women, who first work up a
mixture of grease and blood in their hands and then boil
this in a little water. Then they fill a kettle with grease
and meat which they have chewed into a pulp. Often half
a dozen women are occupied for hours preparing this rare
stew. They chew and chew again mouthful after mouthful,
then put the whole in the kettle. This is the far-famed
Rocky Mountain hash! Add to this delectable dish cakes
made of crushed ants and grasshoppers dried in the sun, and
you will have some idea of the delicacies of the Assiniboin
table." 8

These people were not wholly disposed to be taught the
Gospel. Jealousy divided families, and quarrels, disputes,
and murders were not infrequent. Protestant ministers of
doubtful morals had traversed the country defaming the
Black Robes; but, undaunted, the missionary gave instruc-
tion every evening, and baptized some children and an old
man who, dying a few days later, was interred with Catholic
rites.

After a few weeks' sojourn at the Assiniboin camp, Father
De Smet started off with his three guides. The interlaced
branches of the cypress forest which they traversed tore
and scraped their hands, faces, and clothes, as the travelers
pushed their way through. Nor did our missionary escape
without an adventure. He says:

"I had to pass under a tree that hung over the path ; one
of its branches, broken off at the end, presented a dangerous
iook. I bent down on my horse's neck, but this was a
8 Letter to Bishop Hughes, Camp Assiniboin, Sept. 26, 1845.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 185

useless maneuver, for it seized me by the collar of my coat
and lifted me up, my horse passing on from under me.
There I hung like a fish on a hook. My battered hat, black
eye, and torn cheek in a civilized land would have laid me
open to suspicion as being a highwayman from the Black
Forest, rather than a missionary in search of souls." 9

After pushing their way for several weeks through the
mountains, the caravan descended into the vast plain that
lies between the Saskatchewan and Upper Missouri. Here,
besides the Blackfeet, lived the Crows, Aricaras, Crees,
Assiniboins of the Forest, the Cheyennes, the Sioux, and
others. Canadian missionaries had just begun to evangelize
these barbarous tribes. "The difference in physiognomy
between these Indians and those who inhabit the shores
of the Columbia is as great as the mountains which separate
them. These latter are renowned for their frankness, gen-
tleness, and amiability, while cruelty, craft, and thirst
for blood give their impress to the lineaments of the Black-
feet. Hands unstained by blood are a rarity in this na-
tion." 10

On October 4th they arrived at the Rocky Mountain
House, belonging to the Hudson Bay Company. Although
a Protestant-, the commander was disposed to aid the mis-
sionary. A detachment of Blackfeet was due at the fort
and he promised to bring about a friendly meeting. Father
De Smet then discharged his escort, and while awaiting
the Blackfeet prepared for baptism twenty Crees who had
learned of Christianity from a Canadian priest.

On October 2$th a band of thirteen Blackfeet arrived at
the Fort. "They greeted me," writes Father De Smet,
"after the fashion of Indians, with politeness at once
uncouth and cordial. Upon learning the object of my
journey, the old chief embraced me. His accoutrements
distinguished him from his companions, for he was covered
from head to foot 'with eagle feathers and wore upon his
chest a medallion consisting of a large plate decorated with
blue flowers. Every mark of friendship was shown me,
and each time I visited him he seated me beside him,

Letter to Bishop Hughes, Rocky Mountain House, Oct. 5, 1845.
*>Ibid., Oct. 30, 1845.
13

i86 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

shook my hand affectionately, and rubbed his vermilion-
painted nose first on one of my cheeks and then on the
other. He invited me at once to visit his country and
offered to personally act as my guide and introduce me to
his people." 11

That year had been a disastrous one for the Blackfeet.
Twenty-one warriors had been killed in two skirmishes with
the Flatheads and Kalispels; six hundred horses had been
stolen, and twenty-seven men scalped by the Crees; fifty
families massacred by the Crows, and one hundred and
sixty women and children led into captivity. Such mis-
fortunes had rendered tractable the chiefs of this ferocious
tribe.

The main difficulty was to find a competent interpreter.
The only one at the Fort was not considered trustworthy,
and could not be recommended by the travelers who had
employed him; but his professions of fidelity finally de-
cided Father De Smet to engage him, as he wished to reach
the Blackfeet before winter set in. Before long he had
reason to regret his decision.

On October sist he left the Post, accompanied by the
interpreter and a young half-breed Cree to care for the
horses. The Blackfeet had gone before to prepare the
tribe for the missionary's visit, and dispose them to
accord him a friendly reception. " Despite his promises,"
writes Father De Smet, "the interpreter soon showed his
hand. He became sullen and bad-tempered, and behaved
as though the weight of the universe had been placed on
his shoulders. He pitched camp in places where the poor
horses could not find a blade of grass after a long day's
journey. The further we advanced into the wilds, the
more surly he became. Not a pleasant word escaped his
lips, and his incoherent mutterings finally alarmed me.

"I had marched unintermittently ten days, and the last
two nights were nights of anguish and watching. Just then
I had the luck to meet a Canadian, whom I prevailed on
to remain with me for a few days. The next morning the
interpreter disappeared. Although my situation was
critical in the extreme, with neither guide nor interpreter,
the departure of my disagreeable companion lifted a weight

11 Letter quoted.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 187

off my heart, for had I not met the Canadian, in all likeli-
hood I would have fallen a victim to his fell designs to do
away with me." 12

Father De Smet then set about to find another inter-
preter, as he was determined not to turn back. He was
told that further on he would find one who was also en route
for the Blackfeet. For eight days he searched for him
through a labyrinth of narrow valleys, but all in vain.
Nor did he come upon any Indians. The Crees, who were
on the war-path, overran the country in every direction,
the Blackfeet fleeing before them. For four days it
snowed heavily; the horses were exhausted. Father
De Smet's rations were at low ebb. The passage of the
mountains was blocked, and nothing now remained but to
try to reach one of the Fur Company's posts and winter
there, putting off until spring his visit to the Blackfeet.
So Father De Smet hastily retraced his steps, going to
Fort Edmonton on the Saskatchewan. The warm re-
ception given him compensated in a measure for the dis-
appointments and mishaps of the past two months. The
population of the Fort was in large part Catholic. The
missionary explained the catechism every morning to the
children, and in the evening before night-prayers gave an
instruction, at which the commander and his household
were present.

St. Anne's Mission lay fifty miles west of the Fort.
This was the headquarters of the Canadian priests,
Fathers Thibault and Bourassa, who from this center
extended their apostolic labors to Athabasca, Peace River,
Slave Lake, and the Mackenzie. Father De Smet visited
them, and was rejoiced to find that the Indians in this
part of Canada were not less fervent than the most religious
of the Western tribes. In the course of one journey
Father Thibault had baptized nearly five hundred souls.

Winter was drawing to a close, and yet grave difficulties
stood in the way of reaching the Blackfeet. An interpreter
was not .to be had. Armed bands terrorized the country;
thieving and carnage were rife. While determined not to
give up his project, Father De Smet deemed it wiser for
the present to retire again to St. Ignatius* Mission. He
Letter to Bishop Hughes, Fort Edmonton, Dec. 31, 1845.

i88 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

still hoped to reach, by another route, this inaccessible
tribe.

On March i2th he left Fort Edmonton with an escort
of three trustworthy half-breeds given him by Father
Thibault. His plan was to approach the mountains
through the Athabasca valley and from there to descend
the Columbia to Fort Colville. As the ground was covered
with snow, they traveled in a sleigh drawn by four dogs,
and after six days reached Fort Assiniboin on the Atha-
basca. Then following the river for three hundred miles,
they arrived at Fort Jasper.

There he met an Iroquois who had not seen a priest
since he left his country forty years before. The old
Indian's joy knew no bounds, for now his children could
be baptized. Father De Smet remained several days
to instruct this interesting family, thirty-six in number.
He celebrated Mass on Easter, and afterward adminis-
tered baptism and married seven couples.

The moment of separation was impressive. "The new
Christians/' writes Father De Smet, "wished to honor me
in a way that would leave a lasting impression on their
children and keep before them ever the name of him
who had placed them in 'the way of life.' The assembled
family gave three rousing hurrahs, at the same time firing
their guns in the direction of the mountain to which they
gave my name. The men escorted me ten miles on my
journey, each one shaking my hand effusively at parting.
We exchanged good wishes and mingled our tears, and
when they departed we found ourselves alone in one of
those wild ravines enclosed by mountains rising like
insurmountable barriers." 13

Father De Smet reached the top of the highest peaks
in the Rocky Mountains, and beheld Mount Brown lifting
its snow-clad summit over ten thousand feet in the em-
pyrean. Crossing these mountains is difficult at all
seasons, but it was especially difficult now, at the be-
ginning of May, for the melting snow caused frequent
avalanches, carrying with them enormous rocks that

13 Letter to Bishop Hughes, from the foot of the Great Glacier, May 6,
1846.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 189

bounded down the mountainside with deafening noise,
felling trees, crushing herds and flocks, and filling up the
valleys. Before this undertaking, the most perilous per-
haps that he had ever encountered, the intrepid missionary,
already exhausted by a useless journey of several months,
seems to have lost courage temporarily. To his family
he writes:

"My health is no longer what it was. Every time I
climb a mountain now, my strength seems to leave me.
The rigors of the climate, fasts, sleepless nights, with ever-
increasing anxieties, and the dangers and agonizing mo-
ments I pass through, are sapping my constitution. Only
lately did I miraculously escape the hands of a vile as-

sassin."

In writing to his Belgian friends he says, "You are
always in my heart, and I sigh and long for you. If God
permits me to again behold my country I shall never leave
it/' 14 It would, however, have been difficult for Father
De Smet to keep this resolution, for he was to see his native
Belgium seven times more, and each time, despite his
love for his family, the thought of the salvation of souls
was to bring him back to his adopted country. 15 Nor
does it displease us to see the great missionary momentarily
bend under his burden; his personality is the more winning
for being so human, since there is often more pride than
virtue in bearing up under trial.

Before long Father De Smet recovered his wonted
spirits, and again his letters tell us of the difficulties and
accidents of this appalling journey. "We had sixty miles
to make on snow-shoes before reaching the boat encamp-
ment on the Columbia, and we determined to make the
trip in two and a half days. The commanders at Rocky
Mountain House and at Fort Edmonton endeavored to dis-
suade me from undertaking this journey, thinking me too
heavy for the exertion it required. But a strict fast for
thirty days reduced my flesh, and, finding myself consider-
ably lighter, I bravely set out to journey through snow from

14 Letter to Francis De Smet, from the foot of the Great Glacier in the
Upper Athabasca, May 6, 1846.

15 In 1833 Father De Smet became a naturalized citizen of the United
States.

190 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

sixteen to twenty feet deep. We went single file across
a plain covered with the debris of an avalanche; now over
lakes or torrents hidden tinder the snow; and now through
a cypress forest buried in snow to its top branches. I do not
know how many times I tumbled, for every minute I was
having trouble with my snow-shoes, or was caught by the
branch of a tree. When one falls the arms are instinc-
tively stretched out to save one's self. In deep snow the
danger is not great; the arms sink in up to the shoulder,
and one lies struggling and laughing. My guides were
most obliging, and after each tumble hastened to my
assistance and got me on my feet again.

" After tramping thirty miles the first day, we made our
camp. We cut pine branches, which we laid on the snow
for our beds. Sleeping on the snow and in the open may
sound uncomfortable to those accustomed to soft mat-
tresses and warm rooms, but never was there a greater
mistake. Come and breathe the pure air of the mountains,
where coughs and colds are unknown, and where condi-
ments are not needed to excite the appetite! Come and
try a nomad's life and see how the fatigues of a long day's
journey are forgotten; come and experience the joy of
health and sound sleep, wrapped in a buffalo hide, lying
upon pine branches beside a crackling fire!

"The next day we began the steep descent of what is
known as the Great Western Slope. It took five hours.
The whole side of the mountain is covered with a dense
forest of huge pines, larches, and cedars. Woe to the
man with a heavy body or who makes a false step! I
speak from experience for many times I gathered myself
together twenty or thirty feet from where I fell, happy
indeed if I did not strike my head against the trunk of
some great tree.

"At the foot of the mountain the scene changed. The
barriers of snow and the many banks which until now had
held the mountain torrents, lakes, and streams in check
were broken up during the night, putting the Great Portage
River in freshet. Through a valley scarcely a mile wide
this river winds with so many turns, that in one day we
crossed it forty times in water up to our shoulders; and
so swift is its current that we were obliged to hold tightly

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 191

to one another to prevent being swept away. The rest
of the journey was made in dripping garments. The cold,
together with extreme fatigue, caused my legs to swell;
my toe nails came off and the blood coagulated in my
boots. Four times I felt my strength failing, and I should
have perished in this grim wilderness if the courage and
strength of my companions had not sustained me.

"We left the Portage valley and entered a thick and
mountainous forest, where the ground was encumbered
with thousands of trees felled by the tempests. Then
followed marshes through which we crossed in mud and
water up to our knees; but these troubles were trifling
compared to those which we had encountered in the be-
ginning of our journey. Finally we came to the boat
encampment on the Columbia, at the mouth of the Portage
River. Those who have crossed the Rocky Mountains
at 53 of north latitude when the snow is melting know
what it means to be a good traveler. It had required all
my strength to accomplish this crossing, and I confess I
would not dare to undertake it again/' 16

After a few hours 1 rest, Father De Smet and his guides
embarked upon the Columbia. After the horrors of the
dark mountain passes, they were cheered by the smiling
aspect of spring. The river islands were a mass of blossom
and the mantle of snow was thinning on the mountainsides;
a thousand little rivulets leaped singing from rock to rock.
In the hands of his skilful guides the canoe shot the rapids,
made its way safely through the rocks, and descended swift
as an arrow.

At one time Father De Smet feared a repetition of the
accident that had befallen his men four years before.
He had just stepped ashore to avoid a difficult passage;
the Canadians, confident in their ability to manage the
canoe, refused to leave it, when suddenly it was caught in
a whirlpool. Despite their desperate efforts, it was sucked
in and the boat filled with water. The missionary on the
bank fell on his knees and implored heaven to save his
men, who seemed doomed to destruction. In a flash the
gulf closed again, throwing the canoe into safe water.

At St. Peter of the Lakes, on the right bank of the

16 Letter to Father Van de Velde, Boat Encampment, May 10, 1846.

THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

river, there lived twenty families of the Chaudire tribe,
who had not received baptism the previous year. Father
De Smet stopped to instruct them, and a few days later they
all became Christians. Toward the end of May he ar-
rived at Fort Colville, where the Indians of the St. Paul
Mission were waiting to receive him and conduct him to
their mission. Great was the missionary's joy to find
that the whole tribe had been instructed and baptized
by Father Hoecken, and still greater was his happiness
in celebrating Mass in the humble chapel built by the
Indians.

It was an added pleasure to meet Father Nobili, the
apostle to New Caledonia. He likewise had passed
through many trials. Obliged to follow these wandering
tribes from camp to camp, he had traversed hundreds of
miles through ice and snow, with often no food other than
dog or wolf meat, and for months he had lived on a sort
of moss mixed with insipid roots. But such privations
endured for God were not in vain. Everywhere the
Indians received the missionary enthusiastically, asking
him to baptize their children. Many were converted and
remained faithful to their marriage vows. A cross had
been erected in every village that did not possess a church.
Father Nobili felt the need of a rest and was now about to
leave to spend a few weeks at St. Ignatius' Mission.

As we have seen, it was Father De Smet's intention to
repair to the same mission, and from there to work his
way to the Blackfeet. The commander at Fort Colville'
had kindly offered him passage in a boat going to Van-
couver, which would permit him to revictual the dif-
ferent mountain posts. Father De Smet accepted his
invitation.

During the year, Catholicism had made rapid progress
in the Willamette valley. Fathers Accolti and De Vos of
St. Francis Xavier's Mission expected many conversions
in the contiguous territory. Father Vercruysse had ac-
complished marvels with the Grand Prairie Indians, and
the Sisters of Notre Dame rejoiced in an ever-increasing;
number of pupils. But the number of missionaries was
not sufficient for the work. Archbishop Blanchet, how-

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 193-

ever, was soon to return from Europe with both mis-
sionaries and Sisters. 17

Laden with supplies for the missions, Father De Smet
started again to cross the mountains. He had hardly left
Vancouver when a powder-horn exploded, burning one-
side of his face, though not seriously enough to impede
his travels. As he journeyed, he studied the habits of the
Indians, and found endless pleasure in the beauties of the-
river.

At a place called the Great Dalles, Father De Smet came-
upon a band of grotesque Indians. When the German,
Canadian, and Spanish emigrants descended the Columbia
valley they were frequently in need of provisions, canoes,
and guides. In payment for these they gave the Indians,
their old clothing, hence a rare collection of coats, trousers,
hats, and shoes were worn indiscriminately by men and
women, regardless of age or stature.

"Two big, stalwart Indians paraded before us in the
apparent belief that their new acquisitions embellished their
persons. One wore a pair of trousers turned inside out,
another a coat much too short, with a torn pair of skin-
tight trousers which betrayed the absence of a shirt; a
lace head-dress was the crowning touch to this bizarre
costume. I met Indians wearing one shoe, others both
shoes. Some go through the camp in the habiliments of
a wagoner, others in a mixture composed of the clothes
of a sailor, a workman, and a lawyer, arranged according-
to fancy; some again with only one article of dress. I
have seen an old Indian showing off a pair of boots, the
only article of his wardrobe. Indian squaws are attired
in long calico gowns which they have besmeared with fish
oil through choice or negligence. If they can afford it,
they superadd a vest of flannel, or the ne plus ultra of
elegance, a man's overcoat." 18

The spectacle amused our missionary, but he could not
forget the moral degradation of these unfortunate people.
''With the greater number idolatry extends even to the
worship of the lowest animals, and some even sacrifice

17 Of this number six were Jesuits: Father Anthony Goetz, Joseph M6ne*-
trey, and Gregory Gazzoli, with three lay Brothers.

18 Letter to Father Van de Velde, Fort Walla Walla, June 18, 1846.

i 9 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

human beings to appease their gods. Add to this, licen-
tiousness, a passion for gambling, and an idleness that
famine alone stimulates into action, hypocrisy, and glut-
tony, and all that is base, and you will then have an idea
of the vileness in which the Indians of the Columbia
stagnate." 19

Father De Smet hoped to be able to send missionaries
to these tribes, but for the moment the future of the existing
missions must be assured. At Walla Walla he left the
Columbia, struck out overland, and with a caravan of
mules and horses crossed for the second time the immense
country of the Spokanes and Nez Perces. He visited, in -
passing, St. Francis Regis 7 Mission, where seventy half-
breeds were leading Christian lives, and on July i7th
arrived at St. Ignatius' Mission.

Under Father Hoecken's wise direction the new " re-
duction " had prospered. The Kalispel converts num-
bered about four hundred and were distinguished not
only for their fervent piety, but for industry and love of
work. The men had three hundred acres of land under
cultivation and the women had learned to milk cows and
make butter. Besides cattle, they had large poultry-
yards. To sustain the growing colony Father De Smet
gave Father Hoecken part of his supplies. He then de-
parted for the Coeur d* Alines.

Above all others, the Sacred Heart Mission manifested
in a striking manner the wonderful effects of grace in the
soul of the savage. "God," they said, "took pity on us;
He has opened our eyes: He is infinitely merciful." The
neophytes applied themselves to agriculture, and under
Father Josefs direction sowed enough grain to nourish
many families. Thus gradually these nomadic children
of the desert began to appreciate the joy of domestic life.
Father Point had been recalled, and was to be replaced by
Father Gazzoli. In union with Father Joset he carried
on for many years a fruitful apostolate.

After a few days spent with the Coeur d'Atenes, Father
De Smet, accompanied by Father Point, left for St. Mary's,
thus, at the same time revictualing the missions, and also
approaching the land of the Blackfeet. St. Mary's, the

18 Letter quoted.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 195

first foundation, always remained the principal mountain
settlement, and like a glowing and luminous hearth,
radiated civilization through the desert.

Father Zerbinati died in the autumn of 1845 after a short
apostolate of only two years, and was succeeded by Father
Ravalli from St. Ignatius' Mission. 20 The rapid develop-
ment of this mission was due to Father Mengarini's
powers of organization. A large church now replaced the
little chapel; a priest's house and other wooden houses
in the same style had been built, and cattle and poultry
gave the touch of a civilized community to the prosperous
village. The wheat crop amounted to thousands of bushels,
and a quantity of potatoes, more than sufficient for the
tribe, had been grown. Even after the Easter celebrations
the granaries and cellars were still so well filled that the
missionaries invited the Snakes, the Bannocks, the Nez
Perc6s, and the Pend d'Oreilles to a feast composed of
dishes unknown to many of them. Father Mengarini
had also succeeded in extracting the sugar from potatoes,
and with barley and some native roots made a sort of
non-intoxicating drink that was both agreeable to the
taste and nourishing. But they still lacked flour, for the
result obtained from crushing wheat between stones or
grinding it in a coffee-mill was anything but flour. Father
Ravalli immediately set about supplying this need. With
the assistance of Brother Claessens and Brother Specht
he constructed a water-mill capable of turning out daily
several sacks of flour, and, at the same time, a saw-mill
for cutting boards and beams needed in building. The
saw he made from the tire of a wheel; beaten out thin,
and from four other tires, welded together, he made a
fiy-wheel. The whole was run by the same waterfall that
worked the flour-mill.

The spiritual and moral condition of this mission was as
satisfactory as its material prosperity. Since the abolition
of polygamy the population had sensibly increased. The
abandonment of children, divorce, and the shedding of

20 Born at Ferrara in 1812, Anthony RavalH evinced in early youth a
strong desire for foreign missionary work. With this end in view, besides
philosophy and theology, he had studied medicine, drawing, and mechanics.
His devotion, simplicity, and happy nature won for him, during his labor of
forty years, the esteem and confidence of both the white man and the Indian.

J9 6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

blood were now unknown among the Flatheads. Young
girls were permitted to marry for choice. The sick were
cared for, and no longer allowed to die in misery. The
education of the children was regarded as a religious duty,
and gave promise to the missionaries of a Christian
generation.

Bands of unfriendly tribes, it is true, continued to trouble
the tranquillity of the village. But the courage of the
braves, sustained by extraordinary faith in divine pro-
tection, finally made allies of the most hostile. Shortly
before Father De Smet's arrival, an encounter had taken
place with the Crows, who had stolen thirty of the Flat-
heads' horses. Two who were innocent of the theft had
been punished. When the mistake was discovered, every
effort was made to make amends, but all in vain. The
Crows gladly seized a pretext for warfare.

One morning, the Flatheads saw a cloud of dust on the
horizon; it was the enemy. The chief then assembled his
tribe and addressed them thus: "My friends, if God wills
that we be conquered, we shall be; but His will be done,
and above all trust in Him!" When the Crows came
within range of their rifles, a volley was poured upon them.
Disconcerted by this resistance, they changed their plan
of attack and began a series of fantastic evolutions, which
only resulted in wearing out their horses.

"To horse!" cried the Flathead chief. In a flash every
man vaulted into the saddle and started in pursuit of the
Crows, whom they forced to retreat two miles from the
camp. Their number was large enough, however, to per-
mit them to continue the struggle until sundown, when
they fled in disorder, leaving fourteen dead and nine
wounded. The Flatheads did not lose a single man.
Even their women distinguished themselves in action.
After having pursued a band of Crows, hatchet in hand, one
squaw returned, saying, "I thought these braggarts were
men: they are not even worthy of being pursued by
women."

This encounter brought matters to a point that facili-
tated the reconciliation that Father De Smet had sought
for more than a year. Father Mengarini's kindness and

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 197

charity conquered the savage natures of the Blackfeet
living in the neighborhood of St. Mary's, and the daring
courage of the Flatheads, to which they owed their preser-
vation from the common enemy, finally won them over.
Burning to avenge the disaster experienced the year before,
the Blackfeet united with the Flatheads in an effort to beat
back the Crows. Returning victorious, they at once
sought out the missionary.

"Such a victory/' they said, "could only have been
obtained by prayer. All during the battle we saw the
old men, the women, and the children on their knees,
imploring help from on high. We have often taken part
in their night and morning prayers and listened to the
chiefs' instructions. Black Robe, deign to take pity on us;
we have decided henceforth to follow the teachings of the
white man's great manitou."

And now Father De Smet was nearing the realization
of the plan for which he had so long labored and suffered.
Conducted by a band of Blackfeet, he was going to penetrate
into the very heart of the redoubtable tribe in order to bring
about a lasting peace between them and the Flatheads,
and to prepare the way for Christian teaching.

The day after the feast of the Assumption, he left
St. Mary's valley, accompanied by Father Point and a
group of Flatheads charged with the expression of the
peaceful intentions of their nation toward the Blackfeet.
After crossing the Rocky Mountains, he entered for the
third time the dangerous Yellowstone valley. Near the
mouth of the Big Horn he turned northwest, crossing an
arid and mountainous country, and for days had only
trackish, stagnant water to drink. At last, on September
1 4th, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, on the
shores of the Judith River, a tributary of the Missouri,
lie came upon the principal camp of the Blackfeet. The
news of the Flatheads' victory had already reached them.

"The religion of the Black Robes," they said, "is more
powerful than ours." Hence they received Father De
Smet with the honors due a man who spoke to the Great
Spirit. Profiting by such favorable dispositions, the mis-
sionary explained to the Indians the elements of Chris-
tianity, dwelling at length upon the protection God accords

i 9 8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

those who trust in Him. Then the Blackfeet who had
fought in the last battle against the Crows related what
they had witnessed in the Flathead camp. They extolled
above all the power of the Sign of the Cross, which appeared
to them a sure indication of victory. "To-day is truly
the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, " writes Father De
Smet in his journal.

For their own interest, as well as out of consideration
for the Black Robe, these fierce warriors made a truce,
and received as allies their former enemies: That night
the Flatheads and Blackfeet recited evening prayers
together. The missionary's soul was filled with joy at
seeing prostrate before the cross men who had once wounded
each other in bloody battles and whom deadly hatred
had divided. In chorus they invoked "the Master of
life," calling Him for the first time their common Father.
All seemed to be of one heart and soul.

The next day was the octave of the Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin. "I sang Mass in the open air under a
canopy of green boughs, the work of the Indians, and
implored the blessing of heaven upon these wandering
tribes of the desert, begging God to unite them by the
ties of peace. Flatheads, Nez Percys, Piegans, Bloods,
Grosventres, and Blackfeet of different tribes, to the
number of more than two thousand, surrounded the humble
altar on which the Victim without blemish was offered for
them. The perfect harmony which seems to animate
the Flatheads and the representatives of the other tribes
is unexampled. One would think that their old quarrels
had long since been forgotten, and this is the more remark-
able, for it is a part of the Indian's creed to cherish ven-
geance against his enemy until death." 21

Father De Smet remained several weeks among the
Blackfeet, in order to strengthen their peaceful intentions,
and continued to prepare them to receive the Gospel.
But the conversion of the Blackfeet presented difficulties
he had not encountered among the Oregon tribes. "These
are savages in the full sense of the word, accustomed to
satiate their vengeance and to revel in blood and carnage.
They are plunged in the grossest superstitions; they wor-
41 Letter to Father Van de Velde, Fort Le\vis, Sept. 26, 1846.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 199

ship the sun and moon, offering them sacrifices of pro-
pitiation and thanksgiving. They cut deep into their
own flesh and even cut off the joints of the fingers. 'I
offer you my blood, 1 they say to their divinity; 'now give
me success in arms, and on my return I will offer you the
homage of the scalps of my enemies."' 22

But despite their degraded condition, Father De Smet
still hoped to accomplish some good among them. He had
baptized several children and every evening the Indians
crowded to his instructions; all seemed to understand that
the missionaries were devoted heart and soul to their
welfare. Father Point, who had been so successful with
the Coeur d' Alines remained with the Blackfeet to com-
plete their instruction and establish a mission for them
like those on the other side of the mountains.

Fathers were too few in number, however, to evangel-
ize all the Western tribes, so Father De Smet set out once
more for St. Louis to procure men and money. He was
eager, moreover, to acquaint his Superiors with the prog-
ress the missions were making, and to gain for his work the
sanction of obedience,

On September 2 8th, our missionary embarked upon the
Missouri in a light canoe with only two guides, and be-
gan a journey that lasted two months before he reached
Westport. He stopped frequently en route to visit the
employees of the forts, and to instruct and baptize their
children. Along the river, bands of Indians would signal
to him from the shore. "To refuse to land would anger
them and expose us to their thirst for vengeance, so through
prudence we landed, and rarely had cause to regret it.
We accepted the calumet and filled it for them, and
exchanged news. If they saw our provisions were low,
they insisted upon giving us the best spoils of the chase;
then we embraced and parted friends." 23

One night, however, they encountered a real danger.
Their bivouac fire betrayed their location to a band of
Aricaras, the sworn enemies of the white man. They
descended upon them, armed to the teeth, but happily

* Letter to Father Van de Velde, Sept. 27, 1846.

28 Letter to the Father General, St. Louis, Jan. i, 1847.

200 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the chief knew Father De Smet, and at sight of the copper
cross on his breast he flung away his tomahawk and,
running to the missionary, embraced him, saying: "I see
you are about to leave for the country of souls. We did
not know you were near, and took you for an enemy."
Then they exchanged all the marks of politeness and
friendship, and the evening was passed in rejoicing.
Before his departure the Indians promised the missionary
that henceforth they would greet the white man with
calumet in hand.

Soon they came to the country of the Sioux, and found
the principal chiefs assembled at Fort Lookout. He told
them of the conversion of the mountain tribes and of his
xecent visit to the Blackfeet. "And you," he said to the
Sioux in conclusion, "will you receive the Black Robe who
wishes to live in your plains and dwell in the midst of you?
Will you listen to his words and follow the path that
Jesus Christ, Son of the Master of life, came on earth to
show us, for in this path all nations must tread? Speak,
'Sioux! I am listening and will carry your words to the
great chiefs of the Black Robes; speak from your hearts. "
The Sioux deliberated a few moments, then the great
orator arose:

"Black Robe," he said, "I speak in the name of the
chiefs and braves. You have spoken beautiful words
about the Master of life. We like them. To-day is the
first time that we have heard them. Black Robe, you
are only passing through our country: to-morrow we will
no longer hear your voice; we shall be as we have always
been, children without a father to guide them, like ignorant
beasts of the prairie. Black Robe, come and build your
lodge in our midst; my heart tells me that you will be
listened to. We are wicked, we have bad hearts, but those
who carry the good word have never come to us. Come,
Black Robe, the Sioux will listen to you and our children
shall be instructed by you." 24

Unfortunately the winter was approaching; the river

was already filling with ice, and Father De Smet could not

delay an instant if he wished to reach St. Louis, so it was

with regret that he had to put off the present evangelization

24 Letter quoted.

THE QUEST OF THE BLACKFEET 201

of this tribe, and start to meet his colleagues. At Westport
he discharged his boatmen and traveled overland, and on
December loth arrived at the University. Many, many
times in the course of his journey his life was in danger.

Seven years had elapsed since his first journey to the
Rocky Mountains. "His prodigious labors, travels, hard-
ships, and perils must be placed,' 1 say Chittenden and Rich-
ardson, * 'in the very first rank of similar exploits. In these
seven years he had traveled, by methods of the time, a
distance equal to more than twice the circumference of the
earth. He had traveled in almost every clime and by
every sort of conveyance. From the burning summer of
the equator, he had passed to the frozen winters of 54
30' north. He had traveled by sailing-vessel, by river
Tbarge, and by canoe; by dog-sled and snow-shoes; .on
horseback and in wagon, and many a long mile on foot.
He had endured hardships that seem to us almost impos-
sible, and which undoubtedly were the foundation of the
ills he later suffered. " 25

But if the work was arduous, the results were most con-
soling. Oregon possessed more than twenty Christian
centers. Upon the banks of the Columbia numerous
tribes begged for baptism. In New Caledonia and West-
ern Canada more than a hundred thousand Indians were
'disposed to receive the word of God. "Three zealous
priests, " writes Father Accolti, "would suffice to carry
the name of Jesus Christ to the Behring Straits." 26 Sub-
jugated by the softening influence of the Gospel, the
Missouri Indians gradually conquered their bloodthirsty in-
stincts. The Blackfeet made peace with the mountain
tribes, and the Sioux were impatiently awaiting the
arrival of the missionary.

In the course of his travels, Father De Smet came in
contact with the greater part of the Western tribes. He
knew their habits and customs because he had lived their
life. His frankness, kindness, and self-confidence had
gained for him enormous influence and authority among
"the Indians.

25 Chittenden-Richardson, pp. 56, 57.

26 Letter to Father Van de Velde, St. Francis Xavier on the Willamette,
June i, 1 847.

14

CHAPTER XII

THIRD VOYAGE TO EUROPE PUBLICATION OF THE " LET-
TERS" VISIT TO THE SIOUX (1847-1848)

Father De Smet Goes to Europe with Father Elet The "Journeys to the
Rocky Mountains " and "The Missions of Oregon " Interest Manifested
in the Works of Father De Smet "Such a Book Revives Our Faith
in the Gospel of St. John" The Revolution of 1848 Arrival in
America of the Jesuits Driven Out of Europe Across the "Bad Lands"
The Poncas Father De Smet with the Sioux The "Scalp Dance"
The Daughter of Red Fish Plans for a New Mission.

GATHER VAN DE VELDE, who three years before
* had succeeded Father Verhaegen as Vice-Provincial,
listened with lively interest to Father De Smet's account
of the progress the missions were making. At all costs,
these thousands of Indians asking for baptism must be
saved. But where to find the missionaries? The Vice-
Province had just lost, through Father De Theux' death,
one of its most energetic workers, 1 and the priests that
remained scarcely sufficed for the needs of Missouri.
An appeal must be made again to Belgium. Father Elet
was about to leave for Rome as Procurator, 2 and it was
decided that Father De Smet should accompany him.

Father Elet had not seen his native land for twenty-six
years, and since Father De Smet's last visit to Belgium
he had received no word from his family. The two
priests arrived in Belgium in the spring of 1847, and after
spending some days with his people, Father De Smet ac-
companied Father Elet to Paris. While there he visited the
church of Notre Dame des Victoires, where he returned
thanks to his powerful Protectress for the success of the
missions. Before leaving he conversed with the eminent

1 Father De Theux died at St. Charles, Feb. 28, 1846.

2 Every three years each province sent one of its members tinder the title
of "Procurator" to confer in its behalf with the Father General.

THIRD VOYAGE TO EUROPE 203

cure of the parish, Father Desgenettes, and enrolled a large
number of the newly-converted Indians in the celebrated
arch confraternity. Returning to Belgium, he went to
Tronchiennes to make a retreat, and there undertook a
new publication of his "Letters/'

A French edition of his Voyages aux Montagnes Rocheuses
" Journeys to the Rocky Mountains" 3 had appeared in
1844. The work, originally published in English, was soon
translated into Dutch, German, and Italian. 4 As Father
De Smet left America, a second volume from his pen
was about to appear. This was an account of his travels
during 1845-1846. "I hope," he writes to his brothers,
"that you have received my letters from the Upper
Athabasca. Fifteen others have just been published in all
the Catholic magazines in the United States. The entire
collection is now being printed in New York, and will
appear in a volume of four hundred pages with illustrations.
One hundred copies will be sent to Belgium, where I pro-
pose to publish them in French and Flemish. Moreover,
I am bringing a map of all the lakes and rivers in the
mountains through which I have traveled."] 5 The work
appeared under the title of "The Oregon Missions" 6 and
was not less of a success than its predecessor.

The accounts of the Far West published hitherto by
others had betrayed only a superficial observation, the
authors' main object being the discovery of the source of
the Missouri or a route to the Pacific across the Rocky
Mountains. 7 The regions that Father De Smet describes
he knew thoroughly. He, of all men of his time, had the
most profound knowledge of the Indians, having studied
their savage and primitive habits during a long sojourn
among the different tribes, and he had many times found
"himself in situations more alarming than the imagination

3 Published by P. J. Hanicq, Mechlin.

4 For the different editions of Father De Smet's Letters, see Sommervogel,
Bibliofl&gue de la Compagnie de J6$us t Vol. vii, Cols. 1307-1310.

6 Liverpool, May 7, 1847.

9 Published by Van der Schelden, Ghent.

7 Lewis and Clarke, "Travels to the Source of the Missouri River" (1810);
Washington Irving, "Tour on the Prairies" (1835); "Astoria" (1838);
"Adventures of Captain Bonneville." To these may be added G. CatKn r s
picturesque publication, "Illustration of the Manners, Customs, and Con-
ditions of the North American Indians" (1840),

204 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

of the writers of adventure had conceived of. He had
shared with the Indians the perils and excitements of the
hunt; rather than hurt their feelings, he had partaken of
feasts that turned his stomach, and had been the instru-
ment of those marvels of grace, conversions en masse.*
He possessed, moreover, rare powers of observation, solid
common sense, and a decided talent for narrative. His
expressions are original and his words picturesque. From
dramatic scenes he passes to amusing anecdotes and re-
flections. His style at times is prolix and long drawn out,
but a certain misuse of terms is pardonable when one
considers that these letters were written offhand and
tinder circumstances little favorable to style or composi-
tion. Often it is on a boat, in the confusion of the corning
and going of passengers, or during a halt after a long day's
march, that the missionary takes his pen to describe a
scene or record events. Moreover, is it not to be wondered
at that this Fleming who left Belgium before completing
his studies, and who spoke for twenty years practically
only English and the Indian dialects, should have retained
his knowledge of French and been able to write it fluently?

But Father De Smet was devoid of all the vanity of an
author and quite frankly excuses his "Frangais un peu
sauvage." 9 On several occasions he begged his confreres
in Belgium to revise his letters before giving them to the
public, "to polish the style and to correct the faults of
orthography." 10 This revision was made, perhaps with
more zeal than success, for it seems to us that the original,
even with its faults, was more virile and possessed of a
certain charm of its own.

His letters cover an infinite variety of subjects. A pro-
found lover of nature, he describes its grandeur with elo-
quence. The majestic solitudes of Oregon perhaps in-
spired him more than all else and at times he reads like
an echo of the Psalmist, Mirabilia of era Domini. He
describes delightful nooks and verdant oases. He con-

8 What Father De Smet did not see with Ms own eyes he was informed of
from absolutely reliable sources. Among his friends were trappers, traders,
interpreters, and pilots who had lived for years in the West and shared the
life of the Indians. Cf. Chittenden-Richardson, p. 141.

9 Letter to the Vicar General of Canada, Sept. 23, 1852.

10 Letter to Father Terwecoren, April 5, 1856.

PUBLICATION OF THE "LETTERS" 205

templates with equal pleasure the tiny rivulets and the
starry heavens. As a naturalist, he studied the habits of
animals; he was engrossed with botany, and often the
recital of his labors is interrupted by the enumeration of
plants he has discovered and to which he gives charming
names. 11 He was probably the first to realize the wealth
that industry was afterward to find hidden in the soil of the
Far West. 12

But the Indians were his absorbing interest. He studied
their origin, 13 their tribes, and mode of life, but above all
their religious ideas. Before Longfellow had embodied in
his "Hiawatha" the ancient traditions of a race doomed to
extinction, Father De Smet had collected their simple
legends, in which one discerns their belief in a Creator,
the fall of our first parents, the deluge, the dispersion of
mankind, and in a divine Mediator who intercedes for us
with the "Master of life." 14

One often wonders why Father De Smet did not profit
by the knowledge he had acquired to make a name for
himself as a geographer or a natural scientist. The an-
swer is that he had other desires than for human glory.
Following the example of the Master, who sacrificed Him-
self for the salvation of sinners, his sole ambition was to
gain souls to God, his preference ever being work among
the poor, the ignorant, and the despised. He passionately
loved the Indians. He could not think of them without
emotion, nor speak of them without tenderness; "my
dear Potawatomies," "my dear Flatheads," "the children

n See particularly, "Journeys to the Rocky Mountains, 1 * letter to his
uncle Rollier.

12 "The Oregon Missions," edition of 184.8, pp. 82, 107, 122.

13 The origin of the redskins is still a disputed point in ethnology. With
many learned authorities, Father De Smet maintains that "the Tartars,
Mongolians, and certain other races of Asia have successively peopled the
American Continent. However, it appears equally certain that the peoples
of the ancient continent (the Scandinavians) also founded colonies here."
He bases his opinion on the physiological characteristics, tombs, customs,
traditions, languages, religions, and astronomical systems of these divers
peoples, and further adds: "A certain amount of obscurity will ever stand
in the way of knowing the particular origin of any one people in the New
World; but does not the same obscurity obtain with regard to many peoples
of the Old World?" (See "The Oregon Missions," edition of 1848, No.
XXXII. Origin of the American Races.)

u See especially "The Oregon Missions," No. XXVII. Chittenden-Rich-
ardson, pp. 1052-1107.

206 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S J.

of my heart," he called them. And it was this that made
his letters eloquent sermons. "Such a book/' says a
Protestant newspaper, "revives our faith in the Gospel of
St. John. Here we find a religion inspired by love, and
capable of ruling the world, a religion that kneels humbly
under the dome of St. Peter's in Rome and at the same
time regards the heavens from the rocky summits of
Oregon." 15

After publishing his "Letters," Father De Smet began
another begging tour in the principal towns of Belgium
and Holland, to obtain not only money, but men. Meeting
those attracted by a taste for adventure, he candidly told
them of the dangers of a missionary's life. ' ' In our wilds,"
he said, "a man takes his life in his hands, not because the
climate is unhealthy far from it; if men died only of
sickness, they would live to an advanced age; but because
of rivers, forest, and prairie, of fires, and the guns and
shafts of savages. Of every hundred men who journey
through our country, not ten escape them." 16

Despite his warnings, however, many young men were
won over by the apostle to the Indians, and said farewell
to their farnjli.es. Among them was Father Charles Elet,
brother of Father John Elet, a young priest destined to
die a saintly death a few months after his arrival in the
United States.

On April 3, 1848, Father De Smet and Father Elet sailed
for America. The crossing was a bad one. "For several
days," he tells us, "I suffered from that illness which does
not kill, but tries the most patient of men. A mountainous
sea tumbled us about, and we staggered around on deck
in grotesque positions. After a wearing day, I sought
repose, only to be thrown out of my berth by the violence
of the sea." 37

On arriving in New York, the travelers learned that the
Revolution that had dethroned Louis Philippe threatened
to sweep Europe. Iif Paris, Rome, Naples, Berlin, Vienna,
and Prague the people were in revolt. "The latest news

Evening Mirror of New York, after the publication of "The Oregon
Missions."

M "Journeys to the Rocky Mountains," i3th letter.
17 To Francis De Smet, New York, May 5, 1848.

PUBLICATION OF THE "LETTERS" 207

from Rome," writes the missionary, "has greatly perturbed
me. Our poor Pontiff! Our poor religious orders! what
is to become of them? Yet God's will be done ! The perse-
cutors will soon be in a more pitiful condition than their
victims." 18

The Jesuits, as usual, were the first attacked, and many
sought refuge in America. Hearing that some priests were
about to arrive, Father De Smet remained several weeks
in New York to receive them. After supplying them with
money and starting them safely to their destinations, he
left for St. Louis. This time he went west by the Lake
route, the least expensive and most agreeable way, stopping
one day to see the sublime Falls of Niagara, that marvel
of American scenery. On July 4th he arrived in St. Louis.
. The Jesuits recently arrived from Switzerland and Italy
were, before long, appointed to their different posts. "Cast
off by the Old World," writes Father De Smet, "they have
come to offer themselves for the evangelization of the New,
and are received with open arms. The Bishops all over the
country have asked for these priests, and already a hundred
of them are exercising a peaceful ministry. ' ' 19 Many, wish-
ing to labor among the Indians, joined the Oregon Missions.

After a few weeks spent in St. Louis, Father De Smet
left for another mission. It will be recalled that on his
return journey from the Rocky Mountains in the autumn
of 1846 Father De Smet remained some time with the
Sioux tribes on the Upper Missouri. From that time on
he was consumed with a desire to return to these Indians,
in order to study their habits and to see if they were not
ready to receive a missionary. Joining some agents of the
Fur Company, he ascended the Missouri to the mouth of
the Nebraska. From there he went overland on horseback
in the direction of the Niobrara and White rivers, choosing
this mode of travel as best suited for studying the country.

The difficulties of this journey in summer through the
most arid part of the American plains were indescribable.
Clouds of mosquitoes swarmed about the caravan; their
cooking was done over fires made of buffalo dung; after
a march of twelve hours they found that there was no water

18 To Father Parrin, New York, May 5, 1848.

19 To Charles De Smet, St. Louis, July 30, 1848*

208 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

at their place of encampment, and mirage, that phenome-
non of the desert, aggravated the torments of thirst. They
beheld shimmering lakes and flowing rivers upon the hori-
zon, and dreaming of shade and verdure, pressed on. As
the hours sped by, their illusions increased. Exhausted
and panting, they fought their way, unconscious that the
illusive vision was ever-receding, and would finally dis-
appear.

The caravan marched for six days without seeing an
Indian or any habitation until they came to the mouth
of the Niobrara, the home of the Poncas. Father De Smet
seems to have kept an agreeable remembrance of this coura-
geous tribe, which he calls "the Flatheads of the Plains."
The Black Robe was most cordially received by the
Indians, and the calumet was passed from mouth to mouth.
The assembly, numbering nearly a thousand, heard for the
first time the name of Jesus Christ from the mouth of a
Catholic priest. Unable to remain with them, Father De
Smet baptized the young children and left, as catechist, a
well-instructed half-breed Catholic.

The route to the Sioux lay through the Bad Lands.
''This region is the most unique of any I have met in my
journeys," says Father De Smet. "The action of the rain,
snow, and wind upon the argillaceous soil is scarcely credi-
ble; and the combined influence of these elements renders
it the theater of most singular scenery. Viewed at a dis-
tance, these lands exhibit the appearance of great villages
and ancient castles, but of such a capricious style of archi-
tecture that they seem to belong to some new world, or to
ages far remote. Here a majestic Gothic tower, surrounded
with turrets, rises in noble grandeur, and there enormous
columns seem reared to support the vault of heaven.
Further on you may descry a fort with mantellated walls,
beaten by the tempest; its hoary parapets seem to have
sustained, during many successive ages, the assaults of
tempests, earthquakes, and thunder. Cupolas of colossal
proportions, and pyramids which recall the gigantic labors
of ancient Egypt, rise in air. The atmospheric agents act
upon them with such effect that probably in the course of
a year or two these strange constructions are transformed
or destroyed.

MASS IN THK WiU)MN#SS~PKEAeHiNG TO THE SIOUX

VISIT TO THE SIOUX 209.

"The settler will try in vain to cultivate this fluctuating
and sterile soil. But though it offers no interest to the
farmer or botanist, the geologist may find abundant
material for study and illustration; here are found petrified
remains of the largest of known quadrupeds, the mastodon,
mingled with those of the mountain hare. I have seen well-
preserved skulls, horns, and tortoises so large that two
men could scarcely lift them/ 1 20

After crossing this arid region, the missionary at last
reached the Sioux camp. The Sioux or Dakotas, divided
into several groups, numbered thirty or forty thousand,
and formed the most powerful and warlike of the North
American Indian tribes. The different Sioux tribes spoke
much the same language and were scattered over both sides
of the Missouri River north of the Niobrara.

Some of these tribes, such as the Santees, the Yanktons,
the Bruits, and the Ogallalas, were at that time camped
in the neighborhood of Fort Peter, between the White and
Cheyenne rivers. When Father De Smet came upon the
Sioux, he found them reveling in all the horrors of their
primitive savagery. Several warriors had just returned
from an expedition against the Omahas, carrying thirty-
two scalps dangling from their lances and horses' bits.
At the sight of these hideous trophies the whole tribe
jumped and shouted with joy. The * * scalp dance and feast ' *
was celebrated with the most discordant yells and horri-
ble contortions. They planted a post daubed with ver-
milion -in the middle of the camp; the warriors danced
around it, the scalps swaying with each movement. To
the deafening accompaniment of drums, each man howled
his war-song, then, striking the pole with his tomahawk,
proclaimed the victims it had immolated, exhibiting osten-
tatiously the scars of the wounds he had received. These
depraved customs were the natural consequence of their
barbarous instincts. Contact with the white man had
developed vices unknown among the Oregon tribes, but
despite all this, the Sioux received the ambassador of the
Great Spirit enthusiastically. An event that took place

20 Letter to Victorine Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, May 2, 1848. The'Amer-
ican geologist, Hayden, visited this desert in 1855 and brought back numer-
ous specimens which he gave to the National Museum at Washington.

210 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

two days after his arrival won for Father De Smet the con-
fidence of the Indians.

The OgaUalas had invaded the country of the Crows,
and had met them in battle. The latter fought bravely,
killing ten or twelve of their aggressors and driving the
others off with clubs. The daughter of Red Fish, the great
chief of the Ogallalas, was taken captive by the Crows.
Crushed and humiliated, he left his tribe to go to Fort
Peter, to ask the officers' assistance in obtaining his daugh-
ter's release, offering eighty beautiful buffalo robes for her
ransom as well as his best horses. He then sought out
Father De Smet.

"Black Robe," he sobbed, "you see before you an un-
happy father who has lost his beloved daughter. Have
pity on me! I have been told that the Black Robe's
prayers are powerful with the Great Spirit. Speak to the
Master of life for me, and I shall not then despair of again
seeing my child."

These words, and the old man's deep sorrow, moved
the missionary. He promised to pray for his daughter's
return, but admonished the chief that it rested with him-
self to dispose heaven in his favor, through his own good
conduct. He then made him forswear all unjust aggres-
sions against the neighboring tribes, and summoned him,
with his tribe, to listen to the commands of the Great
Spirit.

The next day Father De Smet offered the Holy Sacrifice,
at which the Indian chief assisted, imploring, in a loud
voice, the help of God. When Red Fish returned to his
camp, he assembled his warriors and informed them of his
interview with the Black Robe. Suddenly, joyful cries
came from the extremity of the camp. They rushed forth
to inquire the cause, and saw the captive daughter return-
ing. The old chief could scarcely believe his senses. He
ran from his tent to receive his child, who threw herself
into his arms. But how did it happen? The young girl
told her story:

"From the time of my capture I was tied by my hands
and feet to stakes driven into the ground. One night an
unknown woman came and loosened my cords. She then
gave me food and several pairs of moccasins, and said to me

VISIT TO THE SIOUX 211

in low tones, 'Rise and return to your father/ I started
off at once and walked all night. At daybreak I hid in
the hollow of a tree. Some hours later, a band of warriors
who were looking for me passed by without seeing me.
Not finding my tracks on the other side of the river, they
returned to camp. At nightfall I again set out, and in
this manner I walked six days and nights until I had the
joy of finding my father."

Who was this woman who liberated her? Father De
Smet does not tell us, but he asserts the event happened
during the night of the day he celebrated Mass at Port
Peter. 21 During the daughter's recital the Indians raised
their hands toward heaven in thanksgiving to the Great
Spirit. Soon the news spread from tribe to tribe. The
Sioux, after this proof of the efficacy of Christian prayer,
showed themselves disposed to listen to the missionary.
Father De Smet spent several weeks visiting the Indians.
All sought the honor of receiving him in their lodges, where
he sat at the feasts spread for him, and, taking advantage
of these reunions, instructed his hosts, showing them the
folly of their superstitious practices, exhorting them to live
in peace with their neighbors, preaching temperance and
justice, and dwelling upon the Last Judgment, which will
bring joy to the elect and despair to the wicked.

The Sioux listened to him with respectful attention;
many asked for baptism and promised to live Christian
lives. Judging that they were not yet sufficiently in-
structed, and wishing to put their perseverance to the test,
Father De Smet baptized only the children and some old
men, two of whom were nonagenarians.

"We have always loved the Great Spirit," they said.
"Knowing no other prayer, we have offered Him daily the
first smoke of the calumet."

Winter was now coming on, and the missionary was
obliged to quit his neophytes. He embarked on the
Missouri and duly covered the fifteen hundred miles to
St. Louis. Ordinarily so confident of the future of the
Indian missions, Father De Smet this time showed a cer-
tain reserve in speaking about his plans. "What I have seen
is far from encouraging for a missionary. There is a great
21 Cf. Selected Letters, ad Series, pp. 151-153-

212 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

difference between the Flatheads and the other tribes-
west of the mountains and the Sioux. Would a mission
be feasible? My own experience and my sojourn among
the Sioux compel me to place confidence in Him alone
who holds in His hands the most hardened of hearts and
most recalcitrant of wills. I hope that in the course of
this year something may be done for these unfortunate
Indians/' M

This hope, alas! was not to be realized. Although he
labored unremittingly in their behalf, Father De Smet
never lived to see a mission established among the Sioux.
For years he continued to visit them and instruct and
baptize their children and old people, and he prolonged
the existence of the tribe by fighting against and defeating,
the efforts of the white man to exterminate them.

22 Letter to Errrih'e Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, May 4, 1849.,

CHAPTER XIII

FATHER DE SMET, ASSISTANT TO THE VICE-PROVINCIAL AND
PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI (1849)

Father Van de Velde, Appointed Bishop of Chicago, is Replaced by
Father De Smet The Missouri Vice-Province in 1849 Father De
Smet Socius His Firmness His Goodness History of Watomika
Father De Smet's Attachment to the Kansas Missions St. Mary's
Mission to the Potawatomies Fathers C. Hoecken, Duerinck, etc.
St. Francis Hieronymo's Mission to the Osages Fathers Schoenmakers
and Bax A New Apostolic Vicariate Bishop Miege Father De
Smet as Procurator His Capable Administration His Efforts to
Obtain Money Providence Comes to His Aid Gratitude to Bene-
factors "A Year of Accidents "Father De Smet during the Cholera
and the Great Fire St. Louis University Saved through the Inter-
cession of the Blessed Virgin.

CATHER DE SMET was wholly wrapped up in his
A plans for new mission foundations, when his Superiors'
orders suspended the work. On Father Elet had devolved,
for several months, the duties of Vice-Provincial. Father
Van de Velde was named Assistant Vice-Provincial and
Procurator of Missouri, but hardly had he entered upon his
duties when he was appointed by the Sovereign Pontiff
to the See of Chicago.

A zealous worker, possessed of rare intellectual culture,
coupled with a gentle, lovable nature, Father Van de Velde
was recognized as one of the most distinguished priests in
the United States. In looking about for a successor, the
Fathers remembered that Father De Smet had, on a
former occasion, when Procurator of the college, evinced
undoubted administrative ability. So to him was confided
(at least provisionally) the duties and responsibilities of the
office which Father Van de Velde had vacated. 1

1 " The duties of the office I now occupy absorb my whole time, and there
is no one to relieve me. We have many churches, colleges, and schools in
the United States and are, alas! too few in number for this heavy charge*

214 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

This appointment demanded a painful sacrifice from the
missionary engaged upon work rich in promise. Never-
theless, Father De Smet obeyed cheerfully. "Father Van
de Velde's duties have for the moment been laid upon my
poor shoulders," he writes, -"and I shall endeavor to dis-
charge them to the best of my ability, and render every
service within my power to the different houses in the
Vice-Province." 2

We will now follow him in the discharge of his new
functions.

The Vice-Province of Missouri at that time numbered
about two hundred Jesuits. Besides the St. Louis Uni-
versity and the Florissant novitiate, it possessed colleges at
Bardstown, Louisville, and Cincinnati, and ten small
houses.

The Louisiana Mission had been restored in 1847 to the
French Jesuits of the Lyons Province. 3 The Oregon and
Rocky Mountain Missions passed, in 1851, under the imme-
diate control of the General of the Jesuits, and three
years later were attached to the Turin Province. The
Osage and Potawatomi Missions in Kansas were each
served by ten Jesuits, who ministered to flourishing
Christian communities.

In his quality of socius or assistant, Father De Smet
aided Father Elet in the administration of the Province,
attended to a large part of the correspondence, and ac-
companied him on his visits to the colleges and missions.

While the office of Assistant Vice-Provincial was not one
of responsibility, it entailed routine work and left little
initiative to the incumbent. God alone knows what it
cost that energetic, enterprising missionary to submit
to the limitations and drudgery of secretarial work. "I
am like a soldier," he writes one of his friends. "Upon
receiving an order I obey instantly and go where I am sent,

I trust other Fathers will soon arrive from Europe. When' I can be relieved
of this position, I hope to receive the longed-for permission to return once
more to the Indians/ 1 (Letter of Father De Smet to Mr. Monroe, the Black-
feet's interpreter, St. Louis, June 12, 1850.)

2 Letter to Father Smedts, St. Louis, March 5, 1849.

3 This mission, it will be remembered, was annexed to the Missouri
Vice-Province in 1840.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 215

but, like the soldier, I too have my preferences, and need
I say they are for the land of the Indians?" And again,
"I long for the plains, the deserts, the wild life of the
Indians, with its dangers, privation, and fatigues, which
were, in truth, treats compared to the monotony of my
present existence." 4

But if the work weighed heavily upon him, Father De
Smet's Superiors had no reason to regret his choice as.
Assistant Vice-Provincial. During the absence or illness
of the Vice-Provincial he was forced to decide grave mat-
ters and solve difficulties ; to say the word of encouragement
or administer reproof. Every line of his correspondence
reveals sound judgment, breadth of view, and fair and
kindly dealings with his fellow-workers. Obliged to treat
with men of different nationalities, he applied himself to
inspire them with the sole object of laboring for God's
glory. "In the world in which we live, few people are
content, and the greater number murmur and find much
to complain of. Happy are those, especially in our
Society, who keep in view only ad majorem Dei gloriam,
regardless of national prejudices, the pest of religious
communities. I pity with all my heart the man subject
to this frailty." 5

His upright nature scorned the subterfuges of self-love,
and practiced rigid obedience. "He who is not content
unless exercising authority or left to do his own will
such a man is not religious. 6 If our motive in entering
the Society was to occupy positions of authority, and to
seek only work that pleased us, we had done better to
remain in the world. The spirit of domination and at-
tachment to one's own will are stumbling-blocks and
obstacles in the path of virtue. From these follow, not
infrequently, lukewarmness in meditation and prayer,
distaste for our holy vocation, and the habit of complaining
against the attitude and orders of our Superiors. This
path leads not to heaven, and in it we find only ennui,
restlessness, and dejection. . . . Ever present must be the
object for which we have left all, father, mother, brothers,

4 Quoted by Chittenden-Richardson, p. 58.

B To Father H&ias d'Huddeghem, St. Louis, July 19, 1850.

To Father Druyts, July 4, 1854.

216 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

.sisters, and country. Nor must trifles or inordinate af-
fections distract us from it. Heaven is truly a great
reward." 7

Although frank and outspoken, Father De Smet was
ever considerate of the feelings of others. If he had reason
to suspect that a fellow-priest nourished any resentment
toward him, he at once assured him of his unalterable
friendship: "Tell Father X that all is long since par-
doned and forgotten, and that I have never entertained any
feelings of bitterness. There have been in his regard, alas,
misunderstandings and differences, which have had sad
results, but I attribute them to the devil, jealous of the
good intentions of the Indians and the great good that is
teing accomplished by. the missions." 8

Being of a sensitive nature, the slightest suspicion or
sign of distrust caused him acute suffering. "It would
give me great pleasure to see you in St. Louis," he writes
to his Superior, "and I am confident that ten minutes'
conversation would put things right, and dispel the preju-
dices and unfriendliness your letters so often betray.
What has occasioned these feelings, I am at a loss to
explain, but I can assure you I have never experienced
other sentiments than respect and love for your Rever-
ence." 9

Father De Smet's genial nature was devoid of harshness;
he was always approachable and kindly considerate in his
dealing with his fellows. He understood the value of kind
words, of timely encouragement, and was not sparing in
merited praise, a necessity in many circumstances. All,
even the youngest, were treated with the utmost considera-
tion. On one occasion, a scholastic wrote to ask his
prayers. In reply, he received the following charming
letter: "You ask me to say a Mass for your intentions.
I will say not one Mass, but six, as soon as possible. When-
ever you wish prayers for some particular intention, let
me know and I will say Masses for you." 10

That Father De Smet's subordinates remained his friends

7 To Father Maes, Feb. 13, 1851.

8 To Father Joset, Jan. 21, 1851.

9 St. Louis, July 31, 1849;

10 To Brother L. Heylen, April 19, 1856.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 217

is due to his simplicity of manner and his cordial kindness:
among these he counted none more devoted than a young
Jesuit, Jacques Bouchard, better known by his Indian
name, Watomika, "The Swift-footed Man." The story of
this convert written by himself is singularly touching.
Through his mother, Marie Bouchard, Watomika was
descended from an Auvergne family that had emigrated
during the Revolution. His father, Kistalwa, belonged
to the Delaware tribe, formerly one of the most powerful
tribes in America. Kistalwa's integrity and courage won
for him the greatest distinction his tribe could bestow:
he was made chief. He cherished a burning resentment
against the United States for having usurped the lands of
his fathers, and he instilled in his son a hatred of the white
man. Watomika was brought up in paganism, and in his
early childhood was, of course, taught to ride and use the
bow and tomahawk. At nine years of age he accompanied
the chief, his father, to the hunt, astonishing by his daring
the most intrepid hunters. One day the news came that a
Delaware had just been killed by a band of Sioux. Kis-
talwa at once assembled his braves and started in pursuit
of the enemy. Watomika begged to join the expedition.

"Are you not afraid of being scalped by the Sioux?"
asked his father.

"If my father is a coward, then I, too, am a coward,"
replied the child.

Delighted with this reply, Kistalwa consented. But
Monotawan, "the white gazelle" it was thus the Indians
called Marie Bouchard was in despair. Placing her
hands upon her son's head, she implored the protection of
the Great Spirit, and as the warriors disappeared in the
distance the poor mother repeated, sobbing: "Watomika,
my dear Watomika! I shall never see you again!"

Soon the Delawares overtook the Sioux, and, though
inferior in numbers, descended upon them and a frightful
encounter ensued. Kistalwa's thunderous voice urged
on the combat. Watomika, though wounded in the leg,
fought valiantly at his father's side. Suddenly Kistalwa
fell mortally wounded, and then the Delawares, goaded to
madness by the loss of their chief, succeeded in putting
the Sioux to flight.

15

2i8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Following the custom of his tribe, Watomika daily
placed on his father's tomb his favorite dishes, until he
dreamed that the deceased had entered "the land of the
living.'* But God was already preparing to enlighten his
soul with the light of true faith.

Soon afterward a Protestant mission was established in
his country. The Presbyterian minister in charge was
greatly impressed by this Indian boy's intelligence, and
offered to send him to Marietta College in Ohio, in order
that he might study the religion of the white man. The
idea filled the child of the wilderness with revulsion at
first. Abandon the land of his ancestors and the mother
he loved, to live among strangers whom he had been taught
to hate? But as time passed, an irresistible impulse de-
cided him to accept the minister's offer.

This neophyte of twelve years, just emerged from sav-
agery, applied himself diligently to the study of what he
was told was truth. Gifted with rare intelligence and
marked religious propensities, Watomika possessed, more-
over, a delicately sensitive nature. He spent hours every
day in prayer and meditation upon divine things. He
fasted strictly once a week, eating his first meal at sun-
down. His studies once completed, the ardent neophyte
longed to devote his life to preaching the new Gospel and
prepared himself for his work by prayer and fasting. But
in probing the doctrine of Calvin, he was assailed by
doubts and unrest of mind, which his austerities could
not calm. In his great distress, Watomika sought light
from on high, ready to follow it at any sacrifice. Just at
this time an order came for him to proceed to St. Louis
to replace an absent colleague. There God awaited
him.

A chance stroll brought him one day before the Jesuit
church at the hour when the children attended catechism
class. He entered. The altar, the crucifix, the image of
the Blessed Virgin made an impression upon him which he
could not explain. With respectful attention he followed
the priest's instructions. 11 The lesson that day dealt with
the very questions upon which this distracted soul had
longed for enlightenment. He returned home in a more

11 This priest was, most probably, Father Damen.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 219

tranquil frame of mind; but now only the full light of
truth could satisfy him.

Watomika's knowledge of Catholicism was based upon
calumnious reports, but notwithstanding this he did not
hesitate to seek relief from a priest, nay, even a Jesuit.
To him he told all his doubts and troubles. Grace did the
rest. Watomika abjured his errors and a few months later
asked to be admitted to the Society of Jesus.

Entering the Florissant novitiate at twenty-four years of
age, he was in due time ordained priest. This proud
descendant of the Delaware chiefs, and erstwhile disciple
of Calvin, wrote to Father De Smet: "My one desire, and
the object for which I pray daily, is to live and die a true
son of the Society of Jesus, in whatever function or place
God assigns me through the voice of my Superiors."

One can easily imagine the tender friendship that sprang
up between these two Jesuits. The apostle to the Indians
felt that in this new convert, uplifted to an exalted state,
he beheld the first fruits of a race that had been unjustly
despised. Watomika., now called Father Bouchard, in
turn recognized in the missionary the most devoted de-
fender of his oppressed people. When he beheld the
Delawares despoiled of their lands in defiance of treaties,
it was to Father De Smet that he confided his grief. 12

Father Bouchard was appointed to the San Francisco
Mission, and during a residence there of thirty years he
enjoyed the reputation of being a distinguished orator and
was venerated for his virtues. During this time he never
forgot the missionary who had received him so paternally
, when he was entering upon his new life. "Pray for me
and write to me often," he said. "Would that I could
always be near you." 13

But the missions ever remained Father De Smet's chief

12 "Had the insolent American put his foot upon my throat, I could not
have suffered greater pain and bitterness." (Letter to Father De Smet,
Chicago, Nov. ir, 1857.) "I can but weep and sigh over the ruin of my
beloved tribe. They deserve a better fate. But what can one expect
from a Government devoid of loyalty, and an avaricious nation whose only
God is the almighty dollar and which covets the land of a defenceless people?
My heart bleeds at the thought of the future of my tribe, ruined, corrupted,
destroyed by the blood-stained hands of a so-called liberal Government,"
(To Father De Smet, Leavenworth, July i, 1857.)

13 It was doubtless at the time of his departure for California that Father

220 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

preoccupation. Further on we shall tell what he did for
the Oregon Missions. At present let us review his ef-
forts in behalf of the missions in Kansas. We have already
spoken about the Potawatomies of Council Bluffs. 14
Shortly after Father De Smet 's departure, Fathers Verreydt
and Hoecken, despairing of reforming incorrigible drunk-
ards, departed for Sugar Creek, south of Westport, where
another band of Potawatomies in the charge of a Breton
priest, Father Petit, 15 had lately arrived. This tribe,
comprising two thousand Indians, was already half Chris-
tian, 16 and hence it was imperative that they should have
schools. Father De Smet immediately thought of the
Ladies of the Sacred Heart.

"Believe me," he said to Mother Gallitzin, who at that
time was upon a tour of inspection of the American houses,
"you will never succeed in this country unless you call
down the blessing of heaven by founding schools for the
Indians."

"Such is my earnest wish, Father. But we have neither
money nor teachers."

"Nevertheless, Reverend Mother, it must be done."

Then he addressed Madam Duchesne, and represented
the advantages of a foundation at Sugar Creek, for the
place had to be secured at once in order to forestall the
Presbyterians and Methodists. Although she was in her
seventy-first year, that heroic woman asked to be allowed
to go herself to the Indians. "How good it is to serve

Bouchard sent Father De Smet the following acrostic, Remember Wato-
mika:

When, friends once linked by ties so dear

A long and sad farewell must give,

Their former woes and pleasures seew

Oft does the heart when all alone

Jkfindful regard the parted f onw

Jn all that can the soul absorb.

JTind friend, 'tis thus I'll muse on thee

And think that thou art always near.
Farewell!

In regard to the apostolate of Father Bouchard at San Francisco, see The
Woodstock Letters, Vol. XIX, p. 302.

14 See Chapter V.

v In regard to the life and virtues of this admirable missionary, see
The Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, July, 1839, P- 379, * W2-

16 Father Badin of New Orleans and Father DesseiUe of Bruges preceded
Father Petit at this mission.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 221

God gratuitously and at His expense! If we can obtain
four hundred dollars to begin with we will leave in the
spring."

Father De Smet soon carried to Mother Gallitzin five
hundred dollars he had himself collected and thus assured
the foundation. 17

In 1848 the Potawatomies, again driven back by the
Americans, were forced to leave Sugar Creek and emigrate
further west to a reserve fifty miles square on the borders
of Kansas. The Jesuits and the Ladies of the Sacred Heart
followed them there and founded the prosperous St. Mary's
Mission. Here again Father De Smet was able to render
signal services to his confreres. In leaving Sugar Creek,
the missionaries forfeited the subsidy heretofore paid by
the United States for the education of the children of the
Indians. After a lengthy correspondence with the Su-
perintendent of Indian Affairs, Father De Smet finally
won the cause of his proteges. Nor was this all: he gave
valuable information to the missionaries in regard to their
dealings with the Government agents; put them on
guard against the proceedings of the Protestants, and in
addition sent them large sums of money.

The Ladies of the Sacred Heart were not forgotten. "I
have bought you all you have asked for, and your things
will arrive with the merchandise we are sending the
Fathers. Whenever I can be of service to you, you have
only to ask. The Provincial has received $750 for the
Potawatomi Mission, half of which he will give you to
dispose of as you think best." 18

The devotion of such men as Fathers Hoecken, Duerinck,
Gaillard, and Dumortier, sustained and upheld by Father
De Smet's aid and encouragement, soon bore fruit in St.
Mary's Mission. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs
declared that the Jesuits had accomplished more with the
Indians than all the Methodists together. At the Sacred
Heart School young Indian girls passed from the wilderness
to the novitiate. 19

17 Cf . Baunard, Histoire de Madam Duchasne, p. 433, et seq.

18 To Madam Lucile Mathevon, St. Louis, Aug. 18, 1849.

19 From President Pierce's message to Congress in 1854. we quote the fol-
lowing: "The schools in charge of the Jesuit Fathers are in a flourishing
condition. I have had the good fortune to be present at the examination

222 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Southeast on the Neosho, the St. Francis Hieronymo
Mission was established. Father Schoenmakers, a Hol-
lander, and Father Bax, a Fleming, went in 1847 to minister
to the Osages, who had been converted twenty years
before by Father Van Quickenborne. The Osages were
among the most degraded tribes of the desert. Idle,
filthy, drunkards, corrupted by contact with the whites,
they became hostile to the Black Robes, against whom
they had been warned by Protestants. "The spectacle of
so much misery and degradation brought tears to the eyes
of those sent to labor for the salvation of this unfortunate
tribe." To this was added bitter privations. "We suffer
hunger and thirst and cold, and sleep in the open during
the wettest season of the year, with only a buffalo skin
and one cover by way of bedding." 20

Father De Smet hastened to relieve their distress, and
obtained a subsidy for the schools. To encourage the
missionaries in their arduous task he recalled to them his
own labors, and the sufferings he had endured in Oregon.
"I, too, have tasted the bitter privations to which one is
exposed in the Indian countries. Let me tell you some
of them, but I hope you may be spared similar sufferings.
For several years I was a wanderer in the wilderness and
during three years I never received a single letter. I lived
for two years in the mountains without ever tasting bread,
salt, coffee, tea, or sugar. During four years I knew
neither shelter nor bed; six months I was without under-
linen, and often days and nights I have gone without food
or drink. Pardon me if I speak thus, and believe me, I
do so neither to reproach you nor to glorify myself. I
only recall what I have endured. Nor do I regret it. On

of their pupils, and I can heartily approve of their methods of teaching.
I doubt if there exist in the Indian Territory any other schools that can
be compared to these. The pupils make rapid progress in their studies;
they are, moreover, well fed and clothed, and appear happy and contented."

In 1856, Major Clarke, directed by the Government to inspect the Catholic
schools among the Potawatomies, made the following report: "I cannot
speak too highly of these schools. Besides the ordinary course of instruction,
the girls are taught to sew, to knit, to embroider, and to do housework.
The boys have an industrial school, where they learn useful arts, such as
agriculture, horticulture, etc. Father Duerinck is a most energetic man
and excellent manager, and is devoted heart and soul to the well-being of
the Potawatomies, to whom he is both father and friend."

To Father De Smet, June i, 1850.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 223

the contrary, I thank God for it and would gladly exchange
my present situation for the hardships of mission work/ 1 ' 21

The missionaries to the Osages were men capable of
appreciating these words, and despite unspeakable fatigues
and difficulties without number, Father Schoenmakers
endured for forty years this rude apostolate. Small-
pox broke out in the tribe: Father Bax went from village
to village, from cabin to cabin, carrying help and religious
consolation until he, at thirty-three years of age, fell a
victim to his heroic charity.

Occasionally the Fathers at St. Mary's and at St. Francis
Hieronymo Missions found means of visiting the neighbor-
ing tribes, namely the Peorias, the Miamis, the Senecas,
and the Creeks. Father Hoecken has left us an account of
a journey he made to the Sioux, 22 in the depth of winter,
through snow from fifteen to twenty feet deep. He was
mounted on a lame horse; his feet, nose, and ears were
frostbitten, his legs were stiffened with rheumatism, and he
was starving. At night the storms raged and the wolves
howled around the camp. Yet his soul overflowed with
joy: "My one desire is, with the help of God's grace, to
bear suffering and fatigue as long as it is within my power
to endure them. I place my hopes in the bosom of my
Saviour and await my reward from His bounty, not in this
life, but in the life to come." Such heroism and devotion
yielded abundant fruit. The Christians increased rapidly
in numbers among both the Indians and the American
settlers.

In 1851 the Osage and Potawatomi Missions were raised
by Pius IX to a vicariate apostolic, and Father Mige, a
Jesuit, was appointed titular Bishop, with jurisdiction over
the territory east of the Rocky Mountains. The new
Bishop asked Father De Smet to accompany him and
introduce him to his new and immense diocese, and in so
doing recognized the eminent services the apostle to the
Indians had rendered the missionaries. 23

21 To Father Schoenmakers, St. Louis, June 5, 184.9-

22 Quoted from Selected Letters, ad Series, p. 65, et seq.

23 Father De Smet being unable to comply with the Bishop's request,
Father Ponziglione, lately appointed to the Osage Mission, was his com-
panion.

224 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Father De Smet discharged not only the duties of
Assistant to the Vice-Provincial, but those of Procurator
General as well, in which latter capacity he provided for
the material needs of the different Jesuit houses and the
missions in particular.

The financial condition of the Jesuits rendered this
task a difficult one, Mr. De Nef's death had sensibly
reduced the financial assistance formerly given by the
Belgian Province, and following the troubles of 1848, the
Propagation of the Faith had discontinued its assistance.
An increasing number of applicants for admission to the
Florissant novitiate necessitated larger accommodations,
and the maintenance of the Jesuits expelled from Europe
was a fresh charge upon the Province. From all sides-
came demands for help. "We have pressing debts to-
pay," writes Father De Smet, "and only empty coffers/ 124
In appealing to a friend, he says, "We may perhaps never
meet again on earth, but I trust we will meet in heaven,
where there will be neither question of figures, nor demands-
for money, nor account-books." 25

The new Procurator labored valiantly to keep the
expenses within the limits of his budget. With minute
exactitude he kept track of receipts and expenses. In his
accounts with the subsidy furnished by the Government
to the schools in Kansas, he entered seriously in his books;

The United States, Dr. to Father De Smet, $0.35.

His correspondence betrays his unflagging efforts to avoid
debt. Five times in one month he writes to one of the
Fathers to urge him to reduce his expenses. His warning-
producing no effect, he threatened to stop payment:
"If you exceed your allowance your note will be pro-
tested." 26 The ablest administrator, however, is powerless
before a total absence of capital but Father De Smet was
not ashamed to ask assistance. He wrote to Belgium,
France, Holland, and to several dioceses in Canada, and in.
the hope of interesting his benefactors in the missions,
gave them detailed accounts of his travels. When the

24 Letter to Father Erensberger, St, Louis, March 13, 1849.

25 Quoted by Chittenden-Richardson, p. 59.

26 Letter of Dec. 27, 1849.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 225

seventh Council of Baltimore was about to take place he
presented a petition to the Archbishop asking for the
establishment of a league similar to the one in Lyons, for
the propagation of the faith among the Indian tribes of the
West. 27

Generous contributions flowed in. One Belgian bene-
factor alone sent twenty thousand dollars: the money was
distributed as fast as it arrived, and yet many needs
remained unprovided for. "I was obliged to send supplies
to the mountain missions, and had not a cent ad hoc, hence
I proceeded to beg money. From morning until night
I went my rounds. I wrote letters, journeyed from place
to place to secure contributions, and now when all is done
I still lack one hundred dollars. I trust to Providence for
the rest." 28

And Providence responded generously. Many times,
commercial houses furnished several hundred dollars'
worth of merchandise gratis. Rich ship-owners, old pupils
of Father De Smet, and personal friends paid transporta-
tion fees. The American Fur Company offered the mis-
sionaries free carriage for their goods on their boats going
up the Missouri. Money often came in in most unex-
pected ways.

"A few months ago," writes the Procurator, "the Supe-
rior of a mission informed me that he was in urgent need of"
money, and without it he would be obliged to abandon the
work. In the same post came another letter from the
Vicar General of Quebec in which he said, 'I have a sum of
money to dispose of and your name has come to my mind.
Let me know if you are in need of money.' In reply I gave
him some details regarding our missions, leaving it to him
to decide if they were deserving of assistance. I allowed the
distressed missionary to draw on me for six hundred dol-
lars. Some months later I received from him a letter of
thanks with a bill of exchange payable on sight within three
days, and two days later I received from the Vicar General
a bank-note that more than covered my charity." *

Encouraged by such experiences, Father De Smet never

27 See CHttenden-Richardson, p. 1306.

28 Letter to Charles De Smet, May 15, 1860.

29 Letter to Charles Van Mossevelde, Sept. 27, 1854.

226 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

despaired. "I have so often been rescued by a kind Provi-
dence that it would be ungrateful of me not to trust Him
implicitly. He who feeds the birds of the air and clothes
the lilies of the field will not abandon His children who have
left all for the glory of His name/' 30

Father De Smet never forgot a favor, nor did he ever
presume upon the generosity of his benefactors. The duties
of Vice-Provincial brought him frequently in contact
with church dignitaries, and among the laity who interested
themselves in the missions are found the best names of
Belgium: Count de Meeus, Countess d'Aspremont, Coun-
tess de M6rode, and the Duke de Brabant, who later
ascended the throne under the title of Leopold II. In this
distinguished society our missionary moved with ease and
dignity, and even after twenty years spent among the
savage tribes of North America he remained ever a gen-
tleman of polished manners and address.

As in former years, he collected plants, insects, minerals,
and Indian curiosities to send to Europe. He named the
lakes and rivers he discovered after his benefactors, but
above all he prayed constantly for them: "I have ordered
the Flatheads, the Coeur d'Alenes, and the Pend d'Oreilles
to recite the rosary once a week for one of their greatest
benefactors it is of you I speak. As the rosary is said at
tdghtf all by every Indian family, already several thousand
rosaries have been offered for you. These children of the
wilds will continue thus to show their gratitude until
otherwise instructed, which will not be soon." 31

When a benefactor died, Father De Smet said several
Masses for the repose of his soul. Many times members
of his family sent the missionary large sums of money. In
return he offered Mass for them twice a week. "It is,"
he says, "a debt of gratitude, and one that it gives me
pleasure to discharge, for despite the distance that separates
us, I still feel in touch with you. Every Thursday and
Sunday you make your intentions, and I take them to the
altar; thus we remain strongly united until death, by the
sublime and consoling tie of religion." 32

80 Letter quoted.

31 Letter to Madam Parmentier of Brooklyn, July 25, 1846.

32 Letter to Charles Van Mossevelde, Bardstown, Aug. 20, 1855.

PROCURATOR GENERAL OF MISSOURI 227

Father De Smet's assumption of the office of Procurator
in 1849 coincided with a series of disasters in the United
States, which gave to that year the name of "the year of
accidents." St. Louis was not spared, for on the eve of
the feast of the Ascension a disastrous fire destroyed twen-
ty-seven boats anchored at the levee, and, spreading to the
town, laid waste five hundred houses. The Orphanage, the
cathedral, and the Archbishop's residence were threatened.

Being one of the first on the scene, Father De Smet
rescued the archives and papers of the Missouri See, had
the library carried to a place of safety, and then offered the
orphans a shelter in the college. When the danger was
over he returned thanks to the Sacred Heart. "Shall
we ever be able to make a worthy return for such signal
protection?" he asks. 33

About the same time a scourge more terrible than fire
devastated the city cholera and it claimed as many as
two hundred victims a day during a period of several
months. "There is general mourning," wrote Father De
Smet. "All who have the means leave the city; business
is dead. Often, friends whom I have seen in the morning
are lying in their coffins in the evening." 34 Night and day
the Fathers at the University were found at the bedsides of
the dying. Father De Smet did not take time to undress,
he was so constantly on duty. We have before us a letter
written by him in which he states he was twice interrupted
in its writing by visits to the sick and dying.

One of his nieces invited him to return to Belgium, but
he replied: "America lacks priests to minister to the
suffering and dying, and yet you have the temerity to pro-
pose that I should seek safety and die elsewhere but in the
breach I When old veterans desert the battle-field for the re-
pose of family life, what will the young recruits say and do ?"

But even the cholera had its consoling aspect. "It
strikes an impartial blow, respecting neither name, station,
nor religion : it helps the good to become better, the wicked
to repent, and rouses the lukewarm from their torpor. Why
should we dread the cause of so much good?" 35

88 To a mm, May 22, 1849.

* To Madam Meersman, July 4, 1849.

85 To Sylvia De Smet, Jtily 8, 1849.

228 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The self-sacrificing devotion of the Jesuit Fathers called
down the blessing of heaven. At that time the University,
besides its entire staff, numbered two hundred boarders.
The Fathers implored the help of the Blessed Virgin: "We
placed ourselves and all our pupils under her powerful
protection, promising to adorn her statue with a silver
crown should all escape the scourge. Mary loves her chil-
dren too well to allow them to perish." 36 Nor was Father
De Smet's confidence misplaced. Although the college was
situated in a part of the city where the infection raged,
it was not attacked, nor were the classes interrupted for a
single day. The Fathers continued their ministrations to-
the sick without catching the contagion.

When the scourge had ceased, all hastened to keep the
promises made to our most blessed Lady. One evening"
during the month of October, professors and students
met in the chapel. The statue was solemnly crowned,
and then carried in procession amid the grateful prayers:
and tears of all who were present. His heart filled with
intensest joy, Father De Smet took part in the triumph of
his Mother in heaven. Once more she had proven her
claim to his confidence and gratitude.

86 To Charles Van Kerckhove, July 9, 1849.

CHAPTER XIV

THE FORT LARAMIE COUNCIL (1851)

Discovery of Gold in California The White Invasion The American
Government Invites the Tribes to a Conference in which Fathers De
Smet and C. Hoecken are to Take Part Cholera on Board the St.Ange
Father De Smet's Serious Illness Father Hoecken's Death His
Health Hardly Reestablished, Father De Smet Visits the Indians
during an Epidemic of Smallpox A Journey across the Wilderness
The Highway to the Pacific The Great Council Points Submitted
for Deliberation Father De Smet's Successful Efforts An Era of
Peace for the Redskins Return to St. Louis Visit to St. Mary's
Mission.

C ATHER DE SMET had filled the office of Procurator
A and Assistant to the Vice-Provincial for six months,
when he was offered an opportunity of visiting the Indians.
Gold had just been discovered in California, and thousands
of immigrants crossed the desert, lured by the promise of
the new Eldorado. In a few months these traveling hordes
had cut a large route from Missouri to the Pacific. San
Francisco, which in 1848 had but five hundred inhabitants,
in two years increased to a population of 25,000. The
Indians, notably the Cheyennes, viewed with irritation the
"Pale Face" invasion of this territory, which had been
guaranteed to them by the United States Government,
and sanguinary conflicts were feared.

Colonel Mitchell, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs
stationed in St. Louis, conceived the idea of a Council,
in which all tlie Eastern tribes would be represented, and
in which, furthermore, they would be offered an indemnity
for land taken by the whites for a highway and the forts
that would be constructed along the route. It was decided
that the Council should take place at Fort Laramie in the
summer of 1851.

The Superintendent, charged with negotiating the affair,
sought advice and assistance from Father De Smet, who

230 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

had not only crossed the plains many times, but tinder-
stood the nature of the different tribes. He knew his in-
fluence over the Indians to be more powerful than the
promises and threats of any Government. "Should your
present duties permit," writes the Superintendent, "I
would like very much for you to take part in the Fort
Laramie Council. Your maps and drawings of the prairies
and mountains, as well as any information you can furnish
with regard to their habits, the history of the country, in
fact, all that concerns the Indians, will be of valuable
assistance to us, and will be greatly appreciated by the
Government.*' 1

Here was an occasion for revisiting the Sioux and other
tribes on the Upper Missouri. Father De Smet at once
accepted, and Father Christian Hoecken, the apostle of the
Potawatomies, obtained permission to accompany him.
The latter, in joining this expedition, was to crown a life
of self-sacrificing devotion with a heroic death. 2

On June 7th, the Fathers embarked on the St. Ange, a
steamboat going up the river to Fort Union, about 2,000
miles northwest of St. Louis. Their intention was to
visit the Indians camped along the river, and then cross
the Yellowstone valley to Fort Laramie upon the upper
course of the Nebraska. The 52. Ange was commanded
by Captain La Barge, an intimate friend of Father De
Smet. Several members of the fur companies, bound for
different trading-posts in the Indian Territory, were also
on board. "These men," says our missionary, "were
in search of the goods of the world; Father Hoecken
and I were seeking the treasures of heaven in the con-
version of souls." 3

The spring that year was late and wet. Melting snows
and continued rain had swollen the rivers until the muddy
waters of the Missouri inundated the land for miles. The
boat pushed its way through floating debris; houses, barns,
stables, and fences were carried along pell-mell, with
thousands of uprooted trees. It required skilful steering

1 St. Louis, April 19, 1851. An account of these maps is found in Chitten-
den-Richardson, p. 137.

2 Father Christian Hoecken of Tilbourg in Holland was, as we know, the
brother of Father Adrian Hoecken of the Oregon Mission.

8 St. Louis, Jan. 16, 1852.

THE FORT LARAMIE COUNCIL 231

to avoid striking these floating masses, and at the same
time breast the mighty current. Several times the boat
became unmanageable. But all this was as nothing in
comparison to the trials that yet awaited the missionaries.

Three days after leaving St. Louis cholera broke out on
board the St. Ange, and the merry songs of the passengers
were turned into mournful silence. Thirteen persons, one
after the other, fell victims to the scourge. Father De
Smet was confined to bed by an attack of bilious fever.
Father Hoecken, eager to aid others, watched day and
night by the bedsides of the dying, administering the con-
solations of religion and offering his untiring personal
service. "I suffered," writes Father De Smet, "at seeing
him labor alone at his heroic task, but I was too weak to
assist him in any way. On the i8th what we thought were
symptoms of cholera appeared, and I begged Father
Hoecken to hear my confession and give me Extreme
Unction. Just at that moment he was called to a death-
bed. 'There is no immediate danger for you,' he said;
'we can wait until to-morrow.' That day he assisted at
three deaths. I shall never forget the scene that took
place a few hours later.

"Father Hoecken's cabin adjoined mine, and in the early
silence, between one and two o'clock in the morning, I
heard him call me. I dragged myself to his bedside, to
find him in his death-agony. He asked me to hear his
confession, which I did, and while I administered Extreme
Unction, he replied to all the prayers. His recollection
and piety but added to the veneration in which he was
held by the passengers. Finding myself in a condition in
which I might die at any moment, I asked him to hear my
confession. He was still conscious of what I was saying.
With tears streaming down my face, I knelt by the bedside
of my faithful friend and sole companion, and to him, in
his death-agony, I confessed, being myself in an almost
dying condition. He soon became speechless. Resigned
to God's will, I read the prayers for the dying. Ripe for
heaven, Father Hoecken rendered his soul to God June 19,
1851, twelve days after his departure from St. Louis." 4

The deceased was only forty-three years of age, and in

4 Letter quoted.

232 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

him was centered the richest qualities of an apostle : ardent
zeal, robust health, invincible courage, extreme prudence,
simplicity of manner, and a calm and cheerful nature.
During the fifteen years of his life spent among the Indians
he had built several churches, and established fervent
Christian congregations. A martyr to charity, he, even
in the throes of death, exercised his ministry of salvation.

Father De Smet was bent upon assisting personally at
the burial of his friend. Enclosed in a heavy coffin, the
tody was lowered into a trench on the edge of the forest,
to the accompaniment of the prayers of the Church. A
month later Captain La Barge, on his return trip to St.
Louis, exhumed the venerated remains and transported
them to the cemetery at the Florissant novitiate. "In
other circumstances/' writes Father De Smet, "his death
would have deterred me from continuing my perilous
journey. But God gave the strength which nature
refused."

Gradually the fever disappeared, Father De Smet's
strength returned, and he, in turn, ministered to the sick
and dying. Five passengers succumbed later, each re-
ceiving the Last Sacraments. Many who had not been
to their duties for years came to Father De Smet's cabin,
where they confessed their sins and were reconciled with
God. Father Hoecken's death made a deep impression
on all, and bore immediate fruit. Finally the steamboat
reached the high lands of the Indian Territory. The
fresh, bracing air dispelled the epidemic. But they soon
learned that another scourge, smallpox, was devastating
the homes of the Indians, who died by hundreds. Bodies
remained unburied, exposed to the summer heat, and for
miles the air was infected with the odor of decaying
flesh.

Although hardly convalescent himself, Father De Smet
went ashore, and visited the entire stricken region, where
he baptized children, nursed the sick, and ministered to
the dying. Astonished by his courage and touched by
his goodness, the Yanktons, Mandans, Aricaras, .and
Grosventres listened to the words of the Great Spirit,
and invited the missionary to remain among them. Al-
though Father De Smet was obliged to rejoin the St. Ange

THE FORT LARAMIE COUNCIL 233

and continue his journey, he did not forget these far-off
tribes, and later we will see how he labored to establish a
mission for them.

While going up the river the burden of his thoughts was
the future of these great solitudes. "Nature has been
lavish in her gifts to this country, and one need not be a
prophet to predict a prosperous future for this land.
Before long one could apply to this region the words of the
Psalmist: 'The earth was created for the abode of man
and to manifest the glory and perfection of the Lord.'
These fertile, smiling fields invite the husbandman to till
the soil. Ancient oaks await the woodsman, the rocks the
stone-cutter. One day the sound of the axe and hammer
will ring through the wilderness. Extensive farms, sur-
rounded by orchards and vineyards, herds and flocks of
domestic animals, will cover the uninhabited places, and
will provision the towns that shall rise up as by enchant-
ment. " But what will then become of the Indian who
from time immemorial has possessed the land? A grave
and disquieting question to one who had followed the
encroaching policy of the States in regard to the red man's
territory.

"I still keep a ray .of hope for the future of these unfor-
tunate tribes. The Indians willingly send their children
to school; they make progress in agriculture and mechan-
ical .arts. It is not too much to hope that they may one
day be incorporated into the Union with the rights of
citizens. This is their sole chance of salvation. Humanity
and justice demand it."

On July i4th Father De Smet arrived at Fort Union, a
post situated above the mouth of the Yellowstone, and
from there set out upon his journey overland. He parted
with sincere regret from the traveling companions who had
shared his trials during the months they had spent together
on the St. Ange. During the fifteen days he remained at
Fort Union he instructed the inhabitants, and made the
necessary preparations for the eight-hundred-mile journey
he was about to undertake. He then set forth with
several Government agents and a number of Indian chiefs
who were also en route for Fort Laramie. After ten days'
16

234 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

travel the party arrived at Fort Alexander on the Yellow-
stone.

"The silence of death reigns in this vast wild/' wrote
the missionary. " Weeks pass without seeing a living
creature, but one becomes accustomed to the solitude and
ends by liking it. The mind becomes clearer, the faculties
are more alive, and ideas spring forth spontaneously.
The soul is drawn to prayer and meditation and confidence
in God, and one's thoughts dwell upon Him who is our sole
refuge and who can supply all our needs."

After crossing the Yellowstone the caravan entered the
heart of the Great Desert, where the rocky soil furnished
but meager sustenance for the horses, and lack of water
caused intense suffering to both man and beast. A pest
of mosquitoes forced the travelers to cover their faces and
hands, while their heavy carts toiled up steep rocks and
down deep ravines.

At last, on September 2d, the caravan reached the great
highway to the Pacific. "This immense avenue," writes
Father De Smet, "resembles a wind-swept surface, worn
bare by the perpetual inarch of Europeans and Americans
marching to California. The Indians, familiar with only
the paths of the chase, thought, upon beholding this beaten
track, that the entire nation of the white man had trav-
ersed it and that the country of the rising sun must be
deserted." 5 Eight days later they arrived at their destina-
tion, where Father De Smet was received by the Superin-
tendent of Indian Affairs and invited to be his guest during
the Great Council.

The Great Council was held at some distance from Fort
Laramie, in a vast plain watered by the Nebraska. Ten
thousand Indians, belonging, for the most part, to the
various Sioux tribes, assembled there to hear the proposi-
tion offered by the United States Government. The most
complete unity now reigned among these peoples, only
yesterday divided by hate and dissension. Remembering
their common origin, the children of the wilderness stood
in serried ranks to defend their common interests.

8 Letter from Father De Smet to the editor of the Brussels Journal,
June 30, 1853.

THE FORT LARAMIE COUNCIL 235

On September i2th the Council opened, and the following
points were submitted for deliberation:

I. The Indians must recognize the right of the United
States to construct roads and military posts in their
territory.

II. The Indians, in the interests of peace, must under-
take to repair the loss and damage suffered by the whites
at their hands.

III. An indemnity of $50,000 in gold would be paid im-
mediately to the Indians for all. damage caused to their
hunting-grounds, roads, and prairies by travelers crossing
their country.

IV. The Indians -would receive, moreover, annually
during a period of fifty years, $50,000 in gold to be used
according to their best judgment.

The treaty was read and explained point by point to the
interpreters, who went from group to group of the different
tribes, informing them of the nature of the Government's
propositions. Confident in the good faith of the United
States, Father De Smet sincerely desired the success of the
Council,

Received by the chiefs and invited to their feasts, the
missionary constantly used his influence to assure peace.
His loyal, disinterested attitude greatly impressed the
Indians, who harkened to his wise advice. He knew,
moreover, that religion is the surest guarantee of union be-
tween people. "Promises, threats, firearms, and swords,"
said he, "are less effective than the Black Robe's words
of peace and the civilizing banner of the cross." 6

Finding this the one occasion to preach the Gospel to all
the tribes, Father De Smet gave daily several instructions
upon the Commandments, and the recompense or punish-
ment in the life to come. He explained, moreover, the
necessity of baptism, and administered the Sacrament to
about twelve hundred children. One, perhaps, doubts the
efficacy of these detached instructions, given to a passing
audience, who to-morrow would return to their supersti-
tious practices. But this is an error. In the field of
paganism the missionary could be compared to a fruitful
tree, which in autumn gives forth its seeds, abandoning

6 Letter quoted.

236 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

them to the winds of heaven. What matters it that
thousands fall on sterile ground and come to naught, if
only one seed grows and bears fruit? Father De Smet in
his travels often met Indians so permeated with the spirit
of Christianity that they were quite ready for the regenerat-
ing waters of baptism. "Upon questioning them he found
to his surprise that they had once listened to his in-
structions, and his words, falling upon their sincere, well-
disposed souls, had borne the fruit he now witnessed.
On this occasion also he could rely upon the lasting
effects of his apostolate, for the Indians had listened to
him with pious attention and expressed a desire to be-
come Christians.

"Father," said they, "we are faulty and sinful because
we are ignorant of the word of the Great Spirit. If you
will remain here to instruct us, we will try henceforth to
lead better lives/* Powerless to accede to their request,
Father De Smet was heard repeatedly to exclaim, "If
European priests knew the good a missionary could ac-
complish here, they would hasten to America to bring joy
to our Mother the Church in giving her thousands of new
children."

And now the Great Council was about to conclude.
The different articles so long under discussion were finally,
one after the other, adopted by the tribes. The treaty
was signed by the representatives of the United States and
the principal Indian chiefs. The next day the United
States flag flying from the Superintendent's tent, and the
firing of a cannon, announced the arrival of the presents
sent by the Government a division of which would now
take place. The Indians assembled without delay,
ranging themselves in a circle around the exposed gifts.
The great chiefs were first presented with an outfit of
clothing, which they immediately donned. Proud of their
new habiliments and courting admiration, they naively
showed themselves to the missionary, decked out in
.generals' uniforms and magnificent gold-plated swords,
which contrasted singularly with theii* long hair and
vermilion-painted faces. Thus accoutered, the chiefs di-
vided among the members of their tribes the bounty of the
Government. Perfect order reigned, and strict justice

THE FORT LARAMIE COUNCIL 237

presided at the distribution of the gifts. When the
Indians retired, charmed with the Superintendent's ami-
ability and kindness, they were satisfied, and confident
in his promises of peace. Father De Smet likewise shared
in the general feeling of confidence and good will. "This
Council," he says, "will be the beginning of a new era for
the redskins; an era of peace when travelers will be able
to cross the desert unmolested, and the Indians in turn
will ha^e nothing to fear from the white man."

The Great Council lasted twelve days. On September
24th the Indians began the preparations for their departure.
Father De Smet requested them to pray daily to the
Master of life, and promised to use his influence to obtain
a missionary for them. He then shook hands for the last
time with the chiefs, and set out for St. Louis with the
American delegates and a deputation of Indians en route
for Washington.

After journeying for some time along the Nebraska,
tKe caravan turned south in order to visit the Potawatomi
Mission, This was an opportune occasion of impressing
the Indians with the advantages of industrious and per-
severing work. The St. Mary's missionaries gave a ban-
quet in honor of the travelers, consisting of quantities of
vegetables and fruits. Sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips,
pumpkins, melons, apples, and peaches were served to the
Indian deputation, to which all did justice. At the con-
clusion of the repast, Eagle Head arose and addressed
Father De Smet in the following words: " To-day we
understand your words. You told us in the camp that the
buffalo would disappear from our territory in a few years,
but that we could draw from the earth sustenance for our-
selves and our children. When you spoke thus our ears
were closed; to-day they are open, now that we have eaten
the fruits of the earth. We see before us a people happy,
well fed, and well clothed. We will welcome the Black
Robes and will listen to their words."

The next day being Sunday, all assisted at High Mass.
The prayers, hymns, and piety of the faithful made a pro-
found impression upon the visiting Indians, who incessantly
interrogated the missionary upon the doctrines that gave

238 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

happiness here below and would conduct them to heaven
in the world to come.

Upon leaving St. Mary's the travelers directed their
steps to Westport, where they embarked on a steamboat
descending the Missouri. One can easily imagine the won-
der and amazement of the redskins in passing suddenly
from the wilderness into a rich and civilized country.
Every town and scattered village resounded with their
cries of joy and admiration. At last, on October 2sd,
the party arrived at St. Louis, where the Indian deputation
was cordially received at the St. Louis University, the
Provincial even promising to send them a Black Robe.

In reviewing the events of the past five months,
Father De Smet was filled with gratitude to God. He
writes: "During my journey across the plains and moun-
tains God watched over me, I escaped from a dangerous
malady; from the attacks of the enemy and wild beasts;
from smallpox and cholera. I came safely through a
camp where men were dying and rotting before me, and
remained over a month among the dying and dead, handling
and nursing the cholera-stricken victims without con-
tracting the disease. To me was given the happiness of
pouring the waters of baptism upon the foreheads of
1,586 children and adults, many of whom have since suc-
cumbed to the scourge, and whose eternal happiness is
now assured." 7

The missionary's modesty did not permit him to recall
the part he had taken in the success of the Conference,
but the United States recognized it, and before long it
was admitted in Washington that his mediation had been
more effective than that of an army. 8 As will be seen,
in new conflicts later to occur between the white man and
the Indian, he was destined to again fill the r61e of pacifi-
cator.

7 Letter to Father H61ias d'Huddeghem, St. Louis, Nov. 13, 1851.

8 Chittenden-Richardson, p. 1566.

CHAPTER XV

THE YEARS OF TRIAL (1848-1855)

Father De Smet Ardently Desires to Again Take Up His Mission WorkThe
Indians Petition Him to Come to Them The Father General Dis-
approves of His Project What Could Have Happened? Complaints
Made Against Father De Smet by Some of His Assistants His Reply
New Complaints Again Father De Smet is Justified The Flathead
Mission Must Be Abandoned The Father General Renders Justice to
Father De Smet's Zeal and Sincerity, but Does Not Deem It Prudent
to Open New Missions The Missionary's Work Must Stand the
Test of Time How it is Judged Fifty Years Later Death of Father
Elet, Madam Duchesne, and Father Roothaan " Why, My Soul,
Would You Escape the Cross?" Father De Smet's Superiors Think
of Sending Him to Reside Permanently in One of the European Prov-
inces His Letter to the Holland Provincial He is Left in St. Louis
He Pronounces His Solemn Vows His Courageous Obedience Wins
for Him New and Greater Successes.

DURING Father De Smet's trip to Fort Laramie
Father Verhaegen took his place as Assistant Proc-
urator of the Province. Doubtless the former hoped
that he would not be obliged to again take up his func-
tions, as it will be remembered he had assumed the post
only temporarily and on several occasions had expressed
a desire to return to the missions.

On February 2, 1850, he writes to the Father General
of the Jesuits: "Your Paternity, in your letter of August
2 gth, -deigns to enquire after my health. Thank God I
am very well, and, save for slight attacks of rheumatism, 1
I feel quite capable of again facing and enduring the pri-
vations inseparable from long journeys. At a word from
your Paternity, I will immediately start for the Western
plains, where thousands of souls languish under the rule
of Satan. The hope of baptizing those little children and

x The malady in question, rheumatism, had been contracted by the
missionary during his journey to the Sioux.

240 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

preparing the aged, whose dispositions are admirable, for
death, gives me courage to return to a post I left with
much regret. "

The Indians awaited impatiently the return of the Black
Robe. Since 1847 the Blackfeet had been without a mis-
sionary. Father Point had been called to Canada by his
Superiors, and was obliged to abandon his neophytes
eleven hundred in all who thus were in danger of falling
back into barbarism. 2 The Crows reminded Father De
Smet of his promises, and entreated him to do something
for them. "Remember," said the Sioux, "that the waters
of baptism have been poured on the foreheads of our
children." The chief of the Assiniboins sent a long letter
begging for the Black Robes, promising to contribute a
portion of the Government money to their support. "I
am getting old," he says in conclusion. " Could I see my
wish realized I would then die willingly."

Father De Smet deemed it imperative to respond to
these appeals, inasmuch as he wished to forestall the
arrival of the Protestant ministers, and prevent error from
being sown in this well-prepared soil. He had hoped to
be able to accomplish this in the spring of 1851. Bishop
Mige asked Father De Smet to introduce him to the
Indian tribes recently placed under his jurisdiction. "I
hope," he writes, "to soon see new missions established
east of the Rocky Mountains, which will labor for the con-
version and civilization of these Indian tribes." 3

Father De Smet's letters, written at that time, betray
the joy he ^experienced in seeing his long-cherished dream
about to be realized. He spoke of his projects and recom-
mended them to the prayers of his friends. "My journey
will be long and beset with dangers. Beg heaven to give
me strength and courage to fulfil my task. ' ' 4 The prepara-
tions were completed, and everything was in readiness for
the journey, when a letter arrived from Rome, disapprov-
ing of his return to the missions. It is true he had as-
sisted at the Indian Council, but his local Superiors, not

2 Father Point died at the Jesuit house in Quebec, July 4, 1868.

3 To his brother Charles, St. Louis, April 27, 1851.

4 To his niece Rosalie, who had just made her first communion, April
28, 1851.

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 241

wishing to fail in a promise they had made to the Govern-
ment, had taken upon themselves the responsibility of
allowing him to go.

What had happened?

We now come to the period of trial in the life of our mis-
sionary. Aspersed by men who had been misinformed,
he felt that his judgment and prudence, nay even his
character, was doubted by his Superiors. His trials were
many and varied. He lived through hours of bitter dis-
couragement. Years passed before he regained peace
and felt confidence in those he loved and venerated. But
this period of trial and discouragement can be easily ex-
plained. Father De Smet's extremely sensitive nature suf-
fered acutely from the exaggerations and false reports-
that had gained the ears of his Superiors, too far off
themselves to judge of the merits of the case. The ardor
with which the valiant apostle labored at his task exposed
his measures to criticism and false interpretations.

The first friction and trouble began when Father De Smet
established the Oregon Missions. Among his auxiliaries
were fellow-missionaries who, chafing under his authority,
complained to Rome. The missionary, conscious of M&
conservative measures and his labors to keep peace, was-
consequently able to enlighten the Father General as to
the cause of the trouble, and of his innocence of the un-
merited charges.

In the spring of 1848 Father Roothaan charged Father
Elet to assure the former Superior of Oregon "that he
enjoyed his full confidence. " However, this was but a
short respite. In a letter dated February 17, 1849,
Father Roothaan informs Father De Smet that he is ac-
cused of offending against holy poverty, and of dispensing-
funds as though the management of money were his own
affair. These accusations determined Father De Smet to
resign his post of Procurator General. With tears in his.
eyes he begged Father Elet to relieve him of a charge he
was judged unworthy of holding, for he felt that hence-
forth the burden would be more than he could bear.
Nevertheless, he felt it incumbent upon him to reply to
these imputations, which attacked his honor as a priest
and a Jesuit. Hence, he forwarded to the General of the

242 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Jesuits an exact account of his administration since 1840,
when the mission funds were given into his hands. This
account had been several times submitted to the inspection
and control of Fathers Van de Velde and Elet. Had use-
less expenditures been made, as the amount of debt proved,
it was because " neither his advice nor his orders had been
complied with."

"In what concerns my personal expenditures, apart from
the modest sum paid my guide, I made three journeys from
the Rocky Mountains to St. Louis without spending a
dollar. Last year when I visited the Indians, I traversed
three thousand miles of territory, was absent four months,
and the entire expense of my journey amounted to $50. "
Even during his travels in Europe he lived most modestly.
"When in Paris, finding myself at a distance from the
Jesuit house, I more than once dined on two or three
pennies' worth of chestnuts. I journeyed once from
Marseilles to Rome and back again upon the main deck
of the boat, my food consisting of a piece of bread and
some meat I bought before embarking, to save expense. I
regret to be obliged to enter into these details, but I am
forced to do so to clear myself of the false charge made
against me. If I have erred, I crave pardon." 5

In Father De Smet's statement of his case, he gives not
only convincing reasons for his line of conduct, but running
through it is a note of sincerity that cannot' be doubted.
Father Roothaan was too clear-sighted and loyal not to
accept his explanation, and retain the missionary in his
office of Procurator and Assistant to the Provincial. His
relations with his Superior were becoming most cordial,
and he hoped before long to be allowed to go West to open
new missions. Affairs had reached this point, when new
complications arose which profoundly impressed the Father
. General and led him to doubt the ultimate success of the
Oregon Missions.

On May i, 1852, Father De Smet wrote to Bishop Van
de Velde, "When you were my Superior, you often re-
proached me for being too easily affected and discouraged
by things said in my disfavor, and I knew you were right.

8 Letter of April 3, 1849.

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 243

Again I am being criticised, and am completely crushed by
the disapproval that comes from the highest authorities,
for not only are the accusations false, but the consequence
of this will be the abandonment of a large number of the
Indians, for whom I would gladly sacrifice the remainder
of my life."

What then was the nature of these accusations? They
are formulated in the letter from the General of the Jesuits,
which had all but prevented Father De Smet's departure
for Fort Laramie.

The following are the specific charges : First, the reports
published by the missionary contained fantastic state-
ments, which misled and caused bitter disappointment to
missionaries arriving in these places. Second, that Father
De Smet had compromised the future of the missions in
giving too generously to the Indians, and in making
promises he was unable to keep. 6

In reply to the first charge, Father De Smet dispatched
immediately to Rome the testimony of the principal
Oregon missionaries, notably, Fathers Accolti, Ravalli,
Mengarini, Joset, and De Vos. We will cite but two pas-
sages in this letter. On June i, 1847, a year after Father
De Smet's departure from the mountains, Father Accolti,
Superior of the Willamette Mission, wrote to the Provin-
cial, "You may possibly meet critical men, who will find
our reports of the missions exaggerated. Do not heed
them, for I can assure you that when conditions are viewed
without prejudice, the reality surpasses all the reports that
have been hitherto recorded. I state facts, and exaggerate
nothing. Nay, more, I voice the general opinion of
strangers, even Protestants, who are forced to believe the
evidence of facts/' 7

Father Ravalli says, in a letter written the same year to
Father Van de Velde : "I can say in all sincerity that in the

6 Letter o April 14, 1851.

7 Washington Irving, in speaking of the Flatheads, declares: "To say
these people are religious gives but a faint idea of the piety and devotion
they manifest in their conduct in life. They are honest to a fault,
upright in their intentions, and their religious fidelity is truly remarkable.
It is a nation of saints rather than a horde of barbarians." ( rt Adventures
of Captain Bonneville," quoted by Helen Hunt Jackson, in "A Century of
Dishonor," p. 377.)

244 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

midst of the Flatheads I find myself in a terrestrial paradise..
In Father De Smet's letters which I read in Rome, and in
the different reports he wrote while I was in Willamette, I
feared his statements were exaggerated, and that his-
rhetorical flights were intended to charm the reader;
but since Providence has granted my desire in sending me
to the mountains, I know now that if any criticism could
be made of those letters it would be that Father De Smet
had minimized the good dispositions of these Indians/'
Along with this testimony, Father De Smet sent the
General a letter from Bishop Blanchet, in which he expresses
his gratitude to the missionary for the marvelous results
he had obtained in Oregon. How was it possible, after
such testimony, to see invention and inexactitude in
Father De Smet's reports?

We will cite from the reply of Father Cataldo, who was-
best qualified to judge the facts and men of that far-off
period. 8

"Some," says he, "seeing only a small number of the
stations, and not finding there conditions Father De Smet
had experienced, concluded that his accounts were exag-
gerated or the work of imagination. I learned to appre-
ciate Father De Smet when I came in contact with the
Indians, and, when occasion presented, I spoke my mind
to those who undervalued the author of the 'Letters/ I
have always denounced their accusations. " 9

As to the second charge, that he had by undue liberality
and rash promises compromised the future of the missions,
Father De Smet again quotes the testimony of his fellow-
priests. "I could fill many pages with extracts from,
letters written by the Oregon Fathers who praise my work
among the Indians, and these letters were written years-
after I had left them." 10

He quotes in particular a letter from Father Joset,
written November i, 1851. "You will be delighted to
hear that the Pend d'Oreilles, Cceur d'Al&ies, Chaudteres,
and the tribes of the Columbia Lakes give entire satisfac-

8 Father Cataldo arrived in Oregon in 1864, and was for many years-
Superior of the Rocky Mountain Mission.

9 Pendleton, March 5, 1909.

10 Letter to Bishop Van de Velde, May i, 1852.

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 245

tion to the missionaries, and, I may add, have never been
better behaved."

The future of the missions was far from being com-
promised, though one event which took place at the close
of 1850 was calculated to cause the Father General legiti-
mate apprehension. St. Mary's Mission, the first estab-
lished in the mountains, was abandoned. Situated in a
smiling, fertile valley, and well provisioned, the "reduc-
tion" offered great facilities to the traveler. Every year
trappers and American hunters returned to winter there,
wishing, they said, to fulfil their religious duties. As a
matter of fact, many only sought comfortable winter
quarters in the mission, and abandoned themselves, under
the eyes of the Indians, to shameful disorders. The
Fathers reproved these men for their licentious living, and
they, to revenge themselves, incited the Indians against
the missionaries, saying they were ambitious men, whose
sole object in coming from the other side of the ocean
was to seize their land and oppress them. These calum-
nies, in conjunction with the intrigues of an Indian who
wished to become chief, did not lack success, for however
sincere may have been the conversion of the Flatheads,
their unstable nature still remained. From being docile
and devoted to the Black Robes they gradually drew
away from their benefactors, and forswore the promises
made in baptism. Their passion for play was awakened,
and whiskey brought by the white man began its ravages.

The summer hunt of 1849 was the occasion of dire
excesses. Ashamed of their conduct, the neophytes scarcely
dared return to St. Mary's. Father Mengarini received
them cordially, but all in vain. They felt that every eye
reproached them for their disorderly life. All those who
had taken part in the hunt mounted their steeds one
morning and went away to pitch their tents nine miles
distant. Only a few old people, deploring the misconduct
of the tribe, remained with the missionary. Victor, the
chief, had, unfortunately, neither the energy nor the in-
fluence of Big Face. When asked to intervene, his only
reply was, "What can I do?"

Wishing at all costs to win back his wayward children,
Father Mengarini went in pursuit of them. Alas! his

246 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

advances produced no effect. At a loss to know how
to reclaim them, he consulted his Superior, Father Accolti,
who deemed it wise to close the " reduction" for a time.
The departure of the Fathers would perhaps bring the
Flatheads to their senses, and realizing the services ren-
dered by the Black Robes, they might become docile once
more and beg the missionaries to return. 11 With death
in their souls, the missionaries departed from St. Mary's,
where, formerly, the neophytes' fervor had given them
sweetest joy. Father Mengarini retired to Willamette,
and Father Ravalli to the Coeur d j Alines. 12

The Superiors saw in this abandonment of St. Mary's the
fruit of Father De Smet's liberality and rash promises,
but the missionaries protested vigorously that the accusa-
tions were "false in every respect." 13

The missionary's grief and anxiety were augmented by
the fear that the Father General might not this time
exonerate him from all blame, for he had now waited a
year for a reply to his letters. At last the long-looked-for
letter arrived from Rome, in which Father Roothaan ren-
dered justice to Father De Smet's zeal and sincerity, al-
though he could not understand what had taken place.'
"The reverses of these last years," he said, "are still in-
explicable, especially the change that has taken place in
the Flatheads." 14

The future of the "reductions" was a never-ceasing
cause of anxiety to the Father General. 15 While 'con-

u Such measures had been taken with the Coeur <T Atenes, for a time re-
fractory, with great success.

12 Cf. Father Mengarini's M&moires in The Woodstock Letters, June, 1889,
pp. 149-152. Palladino, "Indian and White in the Northwest," p. 50. In
consequence of circumstances that will be related further on, the mission
was not opened until sixteen years later. Father Mengarini never again
saw St. Mary's. After a short stay at Willamette he, with Fathers Nobili
and De Vos, was put in charge of the new California Mission. He never
forgot his dear Flatheads, and consecrated his meager leisure to composing
a grammar destined to be of great service to the missionaries. (A Selish
or Flathead Grammar, New York, 1861.) He died at Santa Clara, Sept.
23, 1886.

"Letter to Father Murphy, Vice-Provincial of Missouri, March I, 1852.

14 Letter of April 15, 1852.

15 "Now that St. Mary's Mission is closed, 11 he said, "I fear greatly for
the others." (The Woodstock Letters, 1887, p. 96.)

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 247

vinced that the reports were exaggerated, he feared, never-
theless, that Father De Smet had been too optimistic,
and had entertained projects too vast. Moreover, the situa-
tion could not have completely changed since the former
Superior's departure five years previous. Before permitting
new missions to be opened, and even before justifying
Father De Smet's conduct and management, the General
decided to suspend judgment and await more definite
news.

Such difficulties are not of rare occurrence in the history
of apostolic work. The missionary who carries the
Gospel into a new country is usually eager and impatient
to assure his conquest, and at the risk of seeming importu-
nate, seeks more abundant resources, and an increasing
number of co-workers. His enterprise may appear too
daring. The difficulties of the beginning, and the inevitable
checks invite the condemnation of the faint-hearted, the
criticism of the short-sighted. Even Superiors, before
engaging themselves to support a venture, require certain
guarantees. But when it is evident that the work has
God's blessing and promises an abundant harvest, and the
future seems assured, those who at first counseled modera-
tion applaud success and give unstinted approval.

Father De Snaet's work, like that of all who have initia-
tive, must be tried by the test of time. To-day no one
questions the valiant missionary's right to the glory of
having opened a fruitful field to Catholic apostolic
work.

"It is beyond all question," writes Father Cataldo, "that
Father De Smet was a superior man, and one sent by Provi-
dence to the missions. Humanly speaking, without him,
or some one of the same calibe-r, the mountain missions
would never have existed, and failing these, the California
Missions would not now be in existence, 16 He was not a
resident missionary, it is true, but he was the great organ-
izer of the missions. He knew how to approach and charm
the Indians, and to lead then! under the direction of a
Father. He found not only the means, but the men, whom
he accompanied to the scenes of their labors, taught them

- 16 The California Missions and the Rocky Mountain Missions, which,
were united on July 31, 1909, form now the California Province.

THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

how to manage the Indians, and only departed when he
saw them with the work well in hand." 17

In 1891 Bishop Brondel of Helena called upon the faith-
ful in his diocese to celebrate, on the first Sunday of October,
the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of Catholicism
into Montana. "If to-day," said he, in speaking of the
-founders of St. Mary's, "there is not an Indian tribe
without schools and churches, not a hamlet without its
Catholic chapel, not a city of importance without its
churches and schools and hospitals, we owe it in a large
part to the heroic pioneers of the faith." 18

As with the apostles of our blessed Lord, what Father De
'Smet sowed in sorrow, others reaped in joy.

When the Master's cross was pressing heaviest upon the
shoulders of the missionary, he was deprived, gradually,
of all human support. We know already the details of
Father Hoecken's death. A few months later Father Elet
died at Florissant, and when Father De Smet returned
from Fort Laramie, he whom he called "the truest brother
and friend," 19 he, whose gentleness and charity had sup-
ported him in hours of trial, was no more. These two Jes-
uits had been intimately connected from the time they
were young men. Sons of Flanders, both crossed to
America together and together shared the labors of those
heroic days in Whitemarsh and Florissant. They were
ordained at the same time, they took part in the coloniza-
tion of Missouri, aided materially in founding the St. Lotus
College, and for years shared the government of the Vice-
Province. Faithful to the memory of his sainted friend,
Father De Smet writes touchingly, not only in sorrow for
his loss, but in admiration of his virtues. 20

We remember Madam Duchesne, that remarkable re-
ligious of the Sacred Heart, who, in 1823, received Father
Van Quickenborne's valiant band of missionaries upon

17 Letter quoted. Father de la Motte, who succeeded Father Cataldo as
Superior of the Rocky Mountain and California Missions, shared absolutely
the opinion of his predecessors. "Father De Smet's hopes," said he, "have
been more than realized." (Santa Clara, March 16, 1909.)

18 Sept. 27, 1891.

19 Letter to Francis De Smet, St. Louis, April 17, 1851.

20 Selected Letters, 2d Series, p. 51.

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 249

their arrival in Missouri. The evangelization of the
Indians absorbed her thoughts and energies. "My whole
pleasure," she writes, "is to hear about the promising
future of the Rocky Mountain Mission. In realizing the
expense such a foundation entails, one is tempted to wish
for money." 21

Encouraged and seconded by this valiant woman since
his novitiate, Father De Smet venerated her as a mother,
and each time he returned from his missions his greatest
pleasure was to repair at once to the convent to give her
an account of the progress the Gospel was making. ' ' Never
did I leave her," he says, "without feeling that I had been
conversing with a saint. I have always regarded this
Mother as the greatest protector of our missions. For
several years she offered two communions a week and
daily prayers for the conversion of the Indians, whom she
dearly loved." 22

Madam Duchesne was now over eighty years of age.
Feeling the end approaching, she wished to take leave of
what she held most dear in life: The Sacred Heart Com-
munity, her family, and the Indian Missions. "My
very dear Father," she writes to the apostle of the Rocky
Mountains, "I cannot leave this life without expressing to
you my gratitude. Do not forget, after her death, her to
whom you were so good upon earth. Your prayers will
plead for me with the Sovereign Judge whom I have so
often offended." She then promises to pray for the
Indians, and especially for their good Father.

On November 18, 1852, the eminent foundress expired
at St. Charles, leaving her community well established in
America and animated with her spirit. Father De Smet
received, before long, assurance of her happiness. It had
been agreed between them that the first to die would ob-
tain, if possible, a special favor for the other. Immedi-
ately after Madam Duchesne's death, Father De Smet
experienced the fulfilment of the saintly woman's promise. 23

The following year Father Roothaan passed to his re-

21 See Bishop Baunard. " Histoire de Madam Duchesne," p. 469,

22 Letter of Oct. 9, 1872.

23 Bishop Baunard, op. cit., p. 489. We do not know the nature of the
favor.

17

250 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

ward. Until the last, he felt concern for the future of the
Oregon Missions. Father De Smet sorrowed for the loss
of a man he esteemed, loved, and venerated, and from
whom he had received much kindness. 24

The surviving friends were dispersed. With Father
Van de Velde, now Bishop of Chicago, and Bishop Miege,
Vicar Apostolic to the Indian Territory, Father De Smet
would henceforth have but remote connections. More-
over, he had arrived at an age where it is difficult to form
new ties. His friends disappearing one by one, the
missionary attached himself more and more to the one
Friend who remains when all others have passed away,
making Him the confidant of his most intimate sufferings.
He courageously embraced the cross, and dwelt continu-
ally upon thoughts that for some time past had occupied
his mind. "Why, my soul, wouldst thou avoid the cross?
Whichever way thou mayst turn thou canst not escape it.
To evade one cross is but to encounter two others. Per-
haps it is the suffering thou dost fear? Be wise! Wel-
come the cross that is sent by heaven, and try to compre-
hend its value. In it thou wilt find thy happiness; it is
soaked with the blood of Christ, so generously spilled to
wash away sin and open heaven/' 25

Strengthened by these thoughts, Father De Smet met
unflinchingly a new sacrifice. There was a question of
taking him not only from the missions, but from America,
his adopted country. On March 12, 1852, he wrote to
the Provincial in Holland: "Perhaps you are already in
receipt of the letter in which the Provincial of Missouri
communicates his intention, and that of his consultors,
to send me to Europe as Procurator of the Vice-Province
and "the Indian Missions, and seeks your advice upon the
advisability of the step. Father Elet formed this project

24 Letter to Bishop Van de Velde, May i, 1852.

25 The following words, translated from the Flemish, were inscribed upon
a picture given by Father De Smet to a benefactress of the missions:
"I hope you will accept this little remembrance. It is one of my faithful
companions. In 1821 it crossed the Atlantic with me for the first time. May
it be as fruitful for you as it has been for me! Whenever I have been in
affliction, to look at it has encouraged me to bear patiently the contradic-
tions and trials God has been pleased to send me." (St. Louis, May 22,
1849.)

THE YEARS OF TRIAL 251

during his Provincialship, and it appears that your Pa-
ternity has already given to it your approval.

"With regard to myself, I wish to at once assure you that
I have no desire to influence the decision of my Superiors,
and am ready and willing to execute their orders; further-
more, after mature reflection and prayer, I wish to see
them carried out, because I would gladly spend the few
remaining years of my life in the strict observance of our
holy rules, and in perfect submission to orders. I feel
this to be a need, after so many years spent in the far
missions of America.

"Father Hoecken's enviable death upon the battle-
field, and that of the venerated Father Elet, who for many
years was not only my brother in Christ, but a guide by
his advice and example, make me sincerely desire this
change. I assure you, Most Reverend Father, that I will
endeavor to give complete satisfaction, and that should
you deign to accept the Provincial's proposition, I shall be
most grateful to you. To be able to live the life of a
religious in the practice of obedience, and, when occasion
presents, to still be useful to America, if such be the
will of my Superiors, is, before God, my earnest desire/'

God was content with this generous offer, and the
Superiors of the Society let the project drop. Father
De Smet remained in St. Louis and continued under the
new Provincial, Father Murphy, to fill the office he had
occupied under Father Elet. The fact that he remained
Procurator of Missouri until his death is the best proof of
the wisdom of his administration. Peace again entered his
soul, and on August 15, 1855, he bound himself by further
solemn vows more closely to the Master whom he promised
to serve to the end. 26

These years of bitter trial had but strengthened his
virtue, and by the enlightenment that came from on high
he realized that trial is an inevitable condition of all fruit-
ful work. After the example of a crucified Saviour, the
apostle must be willing to suffer. Seeing himself so

26 Jesuits are ordinarily not ordained until seventeen years after they
enter the novitiate. Father De Smet, received for the second time into the
Society at the close of 1837, was obliged to wait until 1855 for his final
incorporation.

252 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

quickly downcast and crushed, he became more humble
and more compassionate for human suffering about him,
and he acquired, especially, the habit of looking to God
for support. "Our strength consists in a knowledge of
our own weakness, and in the possession of that great
remedy, the grace of Jesus Christ our Mediator.*' 27 These
words translate admirably St. Paul's Cum infirmor, tune
potens sum. 28

In taking him away from his dear missions, God imposed
a heavy sacrifice upon Father De Smet, but his courageous
obedience, far from curtailing his work, brought him even
more important achievements.

27 Letter to Laura Blondel, wife of Charles De Smet, nephew of the mis-
sionary, June i, 1860.

28 "When I am weak, then am I powerful." (2 Cor. xii, 10.)

CHAPTER XVI

PROGRESS MADE BY CATHOLICISM IN THE UNITED STATES

FATHER DE SMET*S APOSTOLATE IN ST. LOUIS THE

"KNOW-NOTHINGS " (1849-1858)

Extraordinary Growth of Colonization Progress of Catholicism The
First Plenary Council of Baltimore The Oxford Movement and Its
Effect in America Eccleston, Brownson, Hecker Success of the
Jesuits in St. Louis Fathers Smarius, Damen, Weninger Father
De Smet's Apostolate The Emigrants His Former Traveling Com-
panions St. Anne's Church The Direction of Souls Protestant
Conversions The Conversion of Randolph Benton Attacks from
Enemies of the Church Boernstein, Kossuth, Lola Montez The
"Know-Nothings" Attack upon Archbishop Bedini "There is No
Other Country in the World where Honest Men Enjoy so Little Liberty "
The Jesuits are Not Spared Fathers Bapst and Nachon End of
the Agitation which Served but to Strengthen Catholicism Father
De Smet is Again Spoken of for the Episcopate " My Heart is Always
with the Indians."

OINCE the coming of the Jesuits to Missouri, coloniza-
*J tion west of the Alleghanies had progressed at an
astonishing rate. To this country, as vast in extent as
the continent of Europe, there flocked, yearly, thousands
of emigrants attracted by the richness of the virgin soil.
Before long the wilderness began to develop. In thirty
years the population of the United States increased from
ten million to twenty-five million inhabitants.

"I remember/' writes Father De Smet, "when St. Louis,
Cincinnati, and Pittsburg were simple villages; these towns
now number over 200,000 souls. Ten years ago, Chicago
and Milwaukee were small inland ports; to-day the former
counts 80,000, and the latter 40,000 inhabitants, and re-
semble huge beehives teeming with activity. Follow the
course of the rivers; penetrate into the interior of the
country, and from one day to the next you will see beautiful
parks replacing forests, and vast prairies transformed into
prosperous farms, possessing herds of cows and sheep,

254 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

droves of horses, and barns filled with wheat, while rail-
ways and macadamized roads traverse the land in every
direction." *

Catholicism marched hand in hand with colonization.
At the beginning of his episcopate, Archbishop Carroll had
difficulty in finding a synod of twenty-five priests, minis-
tering to the 40,000 Catholics of the Union. The first
Plenary Council held in Baltimore on May 9, 1852, was
composed of six Archbishops and thirty-five Bishops.
Not counting the missionaries, America then possessed
about 1,500 priests, ministering to 1,600,000 Catholics.
Churches, seminaries, colleges, convents, schools, and
hospitals abounded. "When I first came to St. Louis,"
says Father De Smet, "the town boasted of about 4,000
inhabitants, one poor church, and two small schools. To-
day the population exceeds 120,000 souls, of which at
least 50,000 are Catholics. It possesses a beautiful
cathedral, eleven churches, a seminary for secular priests,
and a large and well-equipped hospital in charge of the
Sisters of Charity, a Jesuit college with one hundred and
fifty boarders, one hundred and twenty half -boarders and
day scholars, not counting about four hundred free pupils.
The Christian Brothers have a college where the sons of
good families are educated. The Ladies of the Sacred
Heart and the Visitation and Ursuline Sisters have opened
large boarding-schools for girls. Besides these, St. Louis
possesses ten or twelve schools in charge of nuns and
priests of religious orders, five orphanages containing
over five hundred infants, a foundling asylum, a refuge for
fallen women and for young girls exposed to doubtful
, surroundings.

"All the Masses are so well-attended that the churches
can hardly accommodate their congregations, and the
fervor of the faithful responds to the zeal of the pastors.
The harmony existing between the secular and regular clergy
contributes largely to the progress religion is making." 2

1 Letter to Mr. Conway, gentleman-in-waiting to the Dtike de Brabant,
St. Louis, July 10, 1855.

2 Letter to Mr. Blondel of Antwerp, Louisville, April 21, 1855. St. Louis
became an Archiepiscopal See in 1847. The first Bishop of the diocese,
Right Rev. Joseph Rosati, died in Rome, Sept. 25, 1843, &a<i was succeeded
by Bishop, later Archbishop, Peter Richard Kenrick.

PROGRESS MADE BY CATHOLICISM 255

To what can we attribute these consoling results? To
the large numbers of Canadian, Irish, German, and
Polish emigrants who had settled in the Mississippi valley,
on the prairies, and in the regions of the Great Lakes. Poor,
for the most part, but robust, patient, and enterprising,
they pushed to the Far West, and to them we owe the
material prosperity of the United States. Desirous of
bringing up their children in the Faith of their fathers,
these men enriched America with churches, schools, and
convents. While the Puritan families in New England
had but one or two children, the new-comers, with their
numerous offspring, fast became the controlling element in
the country. The progress of Catholicism outstripped the
increase in population. Since the beginning of the cen-
tury, the number of Catholics had increased from one to
ten per cent, of the inhabitants.

Catholicism becoming better known, conversions from
Protestantism were of frequent occurrence. The closing
ceremonies of the eighth Provincial Council of Baltimore
lent prestige to Catholicism. The Bishops, whose dioceses
extended from Louisiana to Oregon, went in procession to
the cathedral to the accompaniment of hymns and the
ringing of joy-bells. The thousands of faithful who com-
posed these various dioceses harkened to the voice of
their Bishops, and an immense concourse of Catholics
acknowledged the only religion which can claim the right
of directing souls.

The Oxford Movement, which, in 1840, sundered from
the Church of England the 61ite of its ministers, had its
echo in America. Those sincerely seeking truth severed the
closest ties to embrace the true religion. Men distinguished
in the intellectual world among whom can be cited
Archbishop Eccleston, Brownson the writer, and Father
Hecker the apostle came over to Rome. Many entered
the priesthood, and later on were elevated to the ranks of
the princes of the Church.

The Jesuits in St. Louis contributed largely to the suc-
cess of the religious movement.

"The following/' writes Father De Smet, ''is what we
are accomplishing in one church only. In St. Francis

2$6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Xavier's, our college church, last year (1854) the number of
communicants exceeded 50,000 and between sixty and
eighty conversions were made. The two Sodalities of the
Blessed Virgin count among their four hundred members,
lawyers, doctors, bankers, merchants, clerks, etc. All
are monthly communicants, and wear the miraculous,
medal. The Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Victory
numbers between 5,000 and 6,000 members, the Association
of the Sacred Heart, 2,000, and 1,000 children attend
the parish school. ' ' 3

The University possessed one eminent controversialist
and renowned preacher. Father Smarius of Brabant,
Holland, attracted crowds of Catholics and Protestants
every Sunday, who studied religious questions in order to
reply to his arguments. A Protestant newspaper, The-
Republic, published the conferences and the replies, and thus
spread, through the States of the Union, the defence of
Catholicism.

Another Hollander, Father Damen, preached without
respite in town and country, often receiving as many as
sixty-seven converts into the Church in one day. He r
with his assistants, gave over two hundred missions and
brought 12,000 souls into the Church. With equal success,
Father Weninger taught the word of God for thirty years
in both German and English, and his many controversial
works and pious writings proved as potent for good as his
spoken word, meriting for him words of praise from the
Sovereign Pontiffs.

Occupied as he was with the administration of the
Vice-Province, Father De Smet had little leisure to con-
secrate to the ministry. He found means, however, of in-
fluencing souls, and effected many conversions in St.
Louis. His greatest care was for the emigrants on the-
levee. He recognized at once the fair hair, bright coloring,
and direct glance of the Flemish, and when the rough idioms,
of his native tongue betrayed, unmistakably, his country-
man, he approached, told him who he was, and asked
for news of Belgium. From him they received money and
encouragement, and were told where to settle in their
new country. Above all, he recommended the emigrants,
8 Letter to Mr. Blondel, April 22, 1855.

PROGRESS MADE BY CATHOLICISM 257

to be ever faithful to their religious duties, and informed
them where they could find a priest to minister to their
needs.

For the greater number, the exodus was attended with
disastrous results. Emigrant-boats were then more like-
slave-ships. Packed together below the decks, the people
perished by hundreds, the mortality being ten per cent,
in American boats and thirty per cent, in English boats.
Those who survived became the prey, upon debarking,
of unscrupulous railway agents.

"Two or three thousand Europeans," writes Father De
Smet, "often pass through St. Louis in one week on their
way to the West. Every steamboat is crowded to the
rails, and it is no exaggeration to state that from fifteen
to twenty persons die on each boat between New Orleans
and St. Louis." But, considering conditions, one marvels
that the mortality was not greater. "Imagine several
hundred men, women, and children, and infants of a
few months old, packed behind the boilers in a space
fifty feet square, the sick breathing the infected air. When
I visited these death-traps it turned my stomach. It is a
miracle that any one escapes alive from such horrible,
unhealthy holes. The emigrant transports now in use-
on the Mississippi are a disgrace to civilization, and sordid
speculation is responsible for these conditions. No matter
how overcrowded the boat may be, there is always room
for one more. Each passenger represents so much money,
and the sacrifice of human life from overcrowding is of
no moment. Whole families are wiped out through
disease, and thousands of children are left orphans in a
strange country." 4

One day a Flemish family consisting of father, mother,
and nine children landed in St. Louis. The parents-
and four of the children had fallen ill on the boat. The
mayor 5 had them taken to the Protestant hospital, where
the father succumbed at once, followed a few days later
by the mother; shortly afterward a little girl of seven
died. Informed of this distressing case, Father De Smet
took the eight children, of which the eldest was seventeen

4 Letter to his brother Charles, St. Louis, Dec., 1849.

5 Bryan Mullanphy, Mayor of St. Louis.

258 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

and the youngest eight months, under his protection. He
writes to his brother: "It will doubtless be a consolation
to their friends in Belgium to know that I have placed
the little girls with the Sisters of Charity, and the two
small boys with the Sisters of St. Joseph. The eldest
boy and a girl of thirteen are with good Catholic families,
where they will be taught a trade or some means of gaining
a livelihood." 6

From 1850, the Government, aided by charitable organi-
zations, undertook to ameliorate the condition of the
emigrants. The great Archbishop Hughes of New York
established an Emigrants' Savings Bank which was later
to become one of the most prosperous banks in the world.
Yet years passed before the emigrant problem was solved. 7

Father De Smet wrote to Belgium again and again,
warning young men, especially, against the fate that
awaited them. He sent his destitute and discouraged
compatriots in St. Louis with letters of recommendation
to other places, where a livelihood could be gained under
more favorable circumstances. Often he advised them to
return to Europe, defraying out of the personal means at
his disposal at least a part of the expenses of the return
journey.

The missionary's long sojourn in the wilds had brought
him in touch with the trappers of the West, fort com-
manders, and agents of the fur companies. Among these
were highly educated Catholics, forced by circumstances to
remain years without approaching the Sacraments. To
serve as a counter influence against indifference and error,
lie sent them such books as "Symbolism," by Moehler,
and Balmes' "Protestantism and Catholicism Compared." 8

"You will not regret," he says, in speaking of the last
work, "consecrating a few hours of your leisure to this book,
which contains varied subjects and new and fruitful ideas.

6 Letter quoted.

7 Extract from will of Bryan Mullanphy, who died in 1851: "I, Bryan
MuUanphy, do make and declare the following to be my last will and testa-
ment: one undivided third of all my property, real, personal, and otherwise,
I leave to the City of St. Louis in the State of Missouri, in trust, to be and
constitute a fund to furnish relief to all poor emigrants and travelers coming
to St. Louis on their way bona fide to settle in the West."

*Le Protestantisme compart au Cathoticisme, dans ses rapports avec la
civilisation europeenne*

PROGRESS MADE BY CATHOLICISM 259

Balmes is at once a savant and philosopher, a profound
thinker, the popular man of the nineteenth century and
the valiant defender of Catholic tradition." 9

Upon hearing that one of his former traveling com-
panions had abandoned his religious practices, Father De
Smet immediately wrote, remonstrating with the delin-
quent in a friendly manner. "You tell me you have visited
several churches in Baltimore, where you have admired
the architecture and been impressed with the services.
Dear friend, you have but a step to take now that you are
in the midst of pious, zealous priests; join in the ceremonies
of the Church in mind and heart, approach the tribunal
of confession, and receive the Bread of angels. You will
find in it, be assured, an inestimable treasure, a source of
joy, consolation, and peace of mind and soul which the
world cannot give. You have not been to your duties for
years. Profit by the present occasion, I beg you, and
return to God." 10

Few resisted his appeals. The agents and business
men who knew Father De Smet in the Far West, would,
upon their return to St. Louis after years spent in the
Indian countries, come to confess their sins, and to have
him bless their marriages and baptize their children. 11
Unable to return to the missions, Father De Smet endeav-
ored to contribute to the spiritual welfare of the Catholics
iii St. Louis. The ever-increasing population was in need
of churches. He undertook to supply this need, and begged
sufficient money to build a church which was dedicated
to St. Anne, and consecrated by Archbishop Kenrick,
July 27, 1856. To his exterior activities, the zealous priest
joined interior work of the soul. His correspondence re-
veals a director vigilant and solicitous for the soul's prog-
ress and perfection. Prudently and delicately he inter-
preted the maxims of the Gospel and the teachings of the
saints, applying them to individual needs. Moreover, it is
not without interest to see a man whose activities were far
removed from the study of mysticism, quoting such au-
thors as Father Surin.

"Letter to Edwin Denig, St. Louis, May, 1852,

10 Letter to Charles Larpenteur, St. Lotus, Dec. 17, 1849.

11 Cf. Chittenden-RIchardson, op. cit, t p. 1499, el seq.

2 6o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The esteem Father De Smet's virtues called forth is
expressed in the words of Madam Duchesne: "God must
be infinitely good to give me such an intercessor/' 12 The
prestige of his priestly labors, the dignity of his life, and the
charm of his manner gained for Father De Smet great
influence with both Protestants and Catholics. On April
22, 1854, he writes to Belgium: "Since the new year I
have baptized six Protestants, among them a lawyer, a
cousin of former President Taylor, and the wife of an ex-
superintendent of the Indians. I have also converted a
Freemason and am now preparing twenty Protestants for
baptism." These lines give some idea of his success, but
no conversion was so remarkable as that of Randolph
Benton, the only son of Senator Thomas Benton, one of
the best-known men of the United States. A gifted youth,
twenty-two years of age, he had been brought up a Protes-
tant, but was, unknown to his family, thinking of becoming
a Catholic when an attack of dysentery brought him to
the point of death. His father, for years on friendly terms
with the college, hastened to inform Father De Smet of
the danger that threatened. "At his express wish I visited
his son, and found his condition alarming. He expressed
his joy at seeing me and thanked me for my visit. I seated
myself at his bedside and exhorted him to have confidence
in God. He listened attentively to every word. 'Yes,'
replied the young man, 'Our Lord sends only what is good
for us/ I explained the principal articles of religion, which
he accepted piously and in firm belief. The Senator was
present during the interview. Charmed and edified by
the Christian disposition of his son, he pressed my hand
affectionately then drawing me aside, exclaimed: 'What
a great consolation this is I Despite the sorrow which tears
my heart, my son's words fill me with joy. God be praised !
If he dies, he will die a Christian.' No longer able to
restrain his tears, the old man retired to another room to
hide his emotion.

"I returned to Randolph, who declared his intention of

becoming a Catholic, 'With all my heart I desire to

receive baptism. Heaven grants me this inestimable

favor, and I feel sure my father will not object.' I im-

12 Baunard, " Histoire de Madam Duchesne," p. 485.

THE APOSTOLATE IN ST. LOUIS 261

mediately sought the Senator in the adjoining room to
ask his consent, which he gave willingly. Pilled with joy,
the young man prepared himself for the Sacrament. Dur-
ing the ceremony of baptism his arms were devoutly
crossed on his breast, and with uplifted eyes he prayed
fervently, thanking God for the grace accorded him." 13

Father De Smet then administered the Viaticum.
After he had returned to the college he received the follow-
ing lines from the Senator: "Dear Father De Smet:
After your departure, I returned to my son, who immedi-
ately asked me if I was pleased with what he had done.
'Very pleased,' I replied, and then advised him to rest and
be quiet. 'Peace and happiness,' he said, 'are more
potent than sleep.' Shortly afterward, with his eyes raised
to heaven, serenity of soul written on his face, he exclaimed,
in a clear, firm voice: 'Through God's infinite goodness,
I am perfectly happy!' Then addressing me, said, 'I
liave wished for some time to become a Catholic, but I
did not know if you would approve.' I replied that
far from being displeased, I was truly happy, and that
this was the first happy moment I had known since his
illness. To you, dear Father, we owe all. You have re-
stored peace to my heart in giving it to my son."

Randolph Benton had but a few hours to live. With
touching piety he received the Last Sacraments, and on.
March 17, 1852, at sunrise, his soul, which had never
" sinned against the light" entered into the joys of the
Lord. The Archbishop of St. Louis assisted at the funeral
services, and spoke eloquently of the deceased. Although
a, Presbyterian, Senator Benton had a hundred Masses said
for the repose of his son's soul. Father De Smet hoped to
receive the father into the Church. He never became a
Catholic, 14 but to the end of his life the eminent states-
man honored Father De Smet with his friendship. 15

"Letter to Father Murphy, St. Louis, April i, 1852.

14 Thomas Benton died in Washington, April 10, 1858. He was given a
public funeral, at which 20,000 persons assisted. Nothing in the accounts
of his last moments indicates that he embraced the Catholic faith.

16 Among the souvenirs of the missionary, his family preserve a copy of
41 Une Histoire des Tribus Indiennes," by Schoolcraft, in which is found the
following inscription: "Offert par l'ex-se"nateur Benton au Re>e*rend Pcre
De Smet, en te*moignage d'affectueuse consideration et de vive gratitude

262 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The progress Catholicism was making began to disgust
the enemies of the Church, who soon began their attacks.
Many Italians, Swiss, Germans, and Hungarians, revolu-
tionaries fleeing from Europe after the events of 1848,
sought in the United States a more favorable ground to
make propaganda for their so-called liberal ideas, and
nowhere was the propaganda so actively carried on as in
St. Louis. "We have here/ 5 writes Father De Smet,
"between 30,000 and 40,000 Germans, among whom are
many radicals, socialists, and visionaries recently driven
out of Europe. Their chief, a demagogue named Boern-
stein, has been expelled successively from Germany,
France, and Italy. Upon arriving here he declared war on
the Jesuits, secular priests, and Catholics, and has labored
for two years to incite his followers against us. Yesterday,
at his instigation, they attempted to invade the locality
where the election of a new mayor was taking place in
order to get votes for their candidate. A bloody encounter
took place; one man was killed instantly, and five or six
houses were burned.

"Kossuth, chief of the revolutionary Hungarians, has
come to St. Louis to associate himself with Boernstein,
and, like the latter, is attacking the Jesuits. His popu-
larity is diminishing from day to day. Doubtless, he will
shortly retire to some obscure corner of the world, there
to live in luxury upon the fruits of his new speculation,
namely, the issuance of Hungarian bonds payable when
Hungary becomes a Republic with Kossuth its first
President.

"After Kossuth, came Lola Montez she also attacked
the Jesuits bitterly, avowing they were responsible for her
expulsion from Bavaria. The Jesuits, she says, govern
Bavaria, their Provincial is Prime Minister, etc." 16

The Carbonari, then numerous in America, received
their orders direct from European lodges. They edited a
paper, L'E'co d 'Italia, and labored unceasingly to prejudice

pour les consolations dont, apres Dieu, il a e*t I'instrument, en assistant
un fils mourant, ltd faisant trouver, vingt-deux ans, sur son lit de mort,
un lit de fleurs, lui d&ouvrant au sortir de ce monde, le printemps de la vie,
Taurore d'un jour radieux: spectacle inoubliable de joie douce et sereine,
de confiante espSrance et de reconnaissance Dieu." (St. Louis. May. 1852 >
To Francis De Smet, April 7, 1852.

THE KNOW-NOTHINGS 263

the people against the Church and trammel the authority
of the Bishops. In the hope of recovering their waning
influence, the Protestant ministers made common cause
with the revolutionaries. This was the beginning of a vast
conspiracy, which imperiled, for a time, Catholic liberty
in the United States.

The Know-Nothings, a new society, 17 began to be or-
ganized about 1852. Theirs was a secret order, which
bound its members by a solemn oath. It was formed,
ostensibly, to defend the rights of the poor against
European invasion. ''America for the Americans" was
its slogan. With this object in view, they endeavored to
have severe naturalization laws enacted against the new
arrivals from Europe, and exclude citizens born of foreign
parents from holding public offices. In reality, these
fanatics combated not so much the foreign immigration
as the fidelity of the Europeans, especially the Irish, to the
Church of Rome. To base calumnies they added murder,
pillage, incendiarism, and, before long, found an occasion
for opening the campaign. In the spring of 1853 the
Papal Nuncio to Brazil, Archbishop Bedini, arrived in
New York, bringing the Sovereign Pontiff's blessing to the
faithful in the United States. He was charged, moreover,
to investigate the conditions of Catholicism in the great
Republic.

The Know-Nothings saw in this mission a grave attack
upon American liberties. Their newspapers denounced
the perfidious and ambitious intrigues of Rome. The
apostate priest Gavazzi came from London and placed his
eloquence at the service of his fellow-socialists and friends.
For several months he followed the Envoy from one city
to the other, vomiting forth lies, threatening him with dire
reprisals, and through fiery denunciation endeavored to
stir up the masses against " Papists/'

From vituperation and abuse there was but one step to
action. On Christmas day in Cincinnati a band of as-
sassins attempted to do away with the Nuncio. Driven
off by the police, they revenged themselves by burning
him in effigy. This .odious scene was enacted in several

17 Know-Nothing means literally," I know nothing." Whenever questioned
about their society, the members feigned ignorance.

264 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

towns. Conditions pointing to renewed attacks, Arch-
bishop Bedini was forced to depart after a short sojourn
in the United States. 18 But hostilities did not cease with
the departure of the Nuncio. The campaign lasted for
three years, attended by violent outrages and attacks, and
armed forces had presently to interfere to defend life and
property. A witness of these disorders, Father De Smet
draws a gloomy picture of existing conditions in his letters.
"The times are becoming terrible for Catholics in these
unhappy States. Nowhere in the world do honest men
enjoy less liberty." 19

"European demagogues, followers of Kossuth, Mazzini,
'etc., have sworn to exterminate us. Seven Catholic
churches have been sacked and burned; those courageous
enough to defend them have been assassinated." 20 "The
future grows darker, and we are menaced from every side.
If our enemies succeed in electing a President from their
ranks until now the chances have been in their favor
Catholics will be debarred from practicing their religion;
our churches and schools will be burned and pillaged, and
murder will result from these brawls. During this present
year (1854) over twenty thousand Catholics have fled to
other countries seeking refuge from persecution, and many
more talk of following them. The right to defame and
exile is the order of the day in this great Republic, now
the rendezvous of the demagogues and outlaws of every
country." 21

No laws were enacted for the protection of Catholics,
and in some States the authorities were openly hostile.
"The legislators of New York and Pennsylvania are now
busy with the temporal affairs of the Church, which they
msh to take out of the hands of the Bishops. These
States have taken the initiative, and others will soon
follow. In Massachusetts, a mischief-making inquisition
has just been instituted, with the object of investigating
affairs in religious houses. In Boston, a committee of

18 See De Courcy and Shea, "The Catholic Church in the United States/'
2d edition, New York, 1857, Chapters xxvii and xxviii.

19 To his brother Francis, St. Lotus, Sept. 8, 1854.

20 To his brother Charles, St. Louis, Sept. 25, 1854.

21 To his brother Francis, St. Louis, Oct. 24, 1854.

THE KNOW-NOTHINGS 265

twenty-four rascals, chosen from among the legislators,
of which sixty are Protestant ministers, searched and
inspected a convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur." 22

While making a tour of the Jesuit houses with the Provin-
cial, Father De Smet more than once braved the fury of the
fanatics. In Cincinnati, a priest could not show himself
in the street without being insulted by renegade Germans,
Swiss, and Italians. In Louisville, thirty Catholics were
killed in an open square and burned alive in their houses.
Those who attempted to flee were driven back into the
flames at the point of pistols and knives. Even in St.
Louis, several attempts were made in one week upon the
lives of citizens. The Jesuits were not spared. At
Ellsworth, Maine, Father Bapst was taken by force from
the house of a Catholic where he was hearing confessions,
was covered with pitch, rolled in feathers, tied, swung by
his hands and feet to a pole, and carried through the city
to the accompaniment of gross insults.

Some months later, Father Nachon was arrested and
brutally beaten in the environs of Mobile, when on his
way to say Mass in a neighboring village. One of the
assailants, pointing a knife at his heart, said, "If you
attempt to enter that village again, you will feel the steel
of this knife. " Father De Smet, who witnessed other
criminal attempts, confines himself to the following simple
statement: "Our situation is far from pleasant. We live
in constant apprehension, yet not in fear. In any case,
it is well to be prepared and pray much." 23 Far from
being intimidated by the situation, he opened a college
in Milwaukee, never doubting the religious future of the
United States. From the beginning of the troubles he
wrote, "The Church, as in all former persecutions, will
come forth victorious. Undoubtedly there will be martyrs,
but when the law which promises liberty of conscience to
every citizen shall be menaced, Catholics will rise up to a
man to defend it." 24

But Catholics were not the only ones to protest. The

22 To M. Blondel of Antwerp, Bardstown, April 22, 1855.

23 To his nephew Paul, St. Louis, Aug. 22, 1855.

24 To a Jesuit in Brussels, Bardstown, June 17, 1854.
18

266 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Know-Nothings' excesses brought protests from the honest
men of all parties. The press denounced them before the
tribunal of the nation. In 1856, when the party hoped to
grasp power, Buchanan's election to the Presidency shat-
tered the dreams of the agitators.

This persecution was the last effort of Puritan bigotry.
The storm had served but to strengthen the roots of the
tree of faith, which now bore more abundant fruit. Just
and serious-minded men investigated this attack on re-
ligion, with the result that ignorance and prejudice dis-
appeared, and an eloquent defence of Catholicism was.
made in Congress. New conversions added to its prestige.
The Governors of Illinois and California publicly abjured
heresy, and Dr. Ives laid at the feet of Pius IX his Protes-
tant Bishop's ring. The zeal and enthusiasm of the new
converts made it possible for Father Hecker to found a new
congregation devoted to the conversion of Protestants. 25

In 1860 America possessed forty-three Archbishops and
Bishops, 2,500 priests, and 4,500,000 Catholics, one-seventh
of the entire population. " Throughout the length and
breadth of the land, religion is preached openly and with-
out hindrance, and Mass is said in private chapels as well
as in the churches. With God's help, we have every
reason for believing that before the close of the century,
the Church in America will occupy an honorable place in
the Catholic hierarchy." 26

The work accomplished by the Jesuits met with just
appreciation from the Bishops, and in 1855 five members,
of the Society of Jesus were proposed for the Episcopate.
Father De Smet, in announcing this news to the Father
General, entreated him to oppose his nomination. His
name had been sent to Rome, 27 but the humble religious
felt himself unfitted for the discharge of such high functions.
His sole ambition was to return to the mountains. "The

26 The first PauHst foundation was laid in New York in 1858.

26 Letter from Father De Smet to his nephew Paul, St. Louis, May 15, 1860.

37 "The new Sees will soon be occupied by the priests whose names have
been sent to Rome. Their nomination is expected at the new consistory.
Father De Smet of Termonde was proposed by the Synod of St. Louis, also
Father Arnold Damen of Brabant, Holland." (Letter of Father H6Has.
d'Huddeghem to his family, Taos, Jan. 30, 1856.)

THE KNOW-NOTHINGS 267

best part of my life," says he, "has been given to the
Indians. I have had the happiness of drying tears, dress-
ing wounds, especially wounds of the soul, and directing
those poor people in the way of man's true destiny. My
robust health has been weakened, and my hair has turned
gray in their service." 28

And again, "My heart, I admit, is ever with the Indians.
They frequently send me pressing invitations to return.
I am happy to be of use to them here, at least in temporal
affairs, and to be able to send our missionaries the means to
continue the evangelization of the tribes. The scarcity of
our Fathers in St. Louis makes it impossible for me to
be relieved of my duties at present, but I have not given
up hope, and I beg God unceasingly, if such be His will, to
allow me to pass my remaining years in the Far West." 29

At the moment of writing these lines Providence was
preparing for him the great joy of seeing once again, and
perhaps saving from ruin, the Christian missions in Oregon.

28 Letter to his nieces, April 20, 1853.

* 9 Letter to W. A. Smets, St. Louis, Jan. 12, 1855.

CHAPTER XVII

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MORMONS PACIFICATION OP
OREGON CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS (1858-1859)

Father De Smet is Authorized by the Father General to Return to the
Missions The Government Sends Troops Against the Mormons
Father De Smet is Appointed Chaplain of the Troops The Oregon
Missions Prosper Testimony of Protestants The Arrival of the
Whites in the Far West Their Treatment of the IndiansThe Missions
are in Danger St. Paul's at Fort Colville Must Be Abandoned for a
Time The Uprising of the Tribes Colonel Steptoe's DefeatGeneral
Harney, Sent to Subdue Oregon, Asks Father De Smet to Mediate
Colonel Wright's Victory Indians Conquered, but Not Reconciled
Father De Smet Visits the Coeur d'Alenes and afterward the Other
Tribes The Chiefs Accompany Him to Vancouver to Sign the Peace
Treaty- He Sees Signs of New Uprisings General Harney Informs
the Secretary of War of the Plan of Father De Smet Captain Pleason-
ton's Letter State of the "Reductions" Father Hoecken Founds
St. Peter's Mission for the Blackfeet Father De Smet Returns to
St. Louis He Has Traveled Fifteen Thousand Miles in One Year.

/APPOSITION to Father De Smet's work had been
\~J withdrawn for some time. In the light of facts,
truth triumphed over false imputations. The missionary's
upright conduct and the wisdom of his plans were recog-
nized at Rome, and henceforth his Superiors would not
oppose his desire to labor for the missions.

In 1854 Bishop Lamy of Santa F6 asked Father Beckx,
Father Roothaan's successor, to send Father De Smet to
convert tribes in New Mexico; but the return to Europe
of the exiled Jesuits in 1848 forced the missionary to
remain some time longer in St. Louis. The appeal of the
Indians became more and more pressing. Smallpox had
claimed four thousand victims, many of whom died without
receiving baptism. "If the wishes of my Superiors, which
are for me the will of God, accorded with those of the
Indians, I would set forth at once to contribute my feeble

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MORMONS 269

assistance." 1 At last, in the spring of 1858, he was free to
go. He had waited ten years for permission to rejoin his
neophytes and carry to them the light of faith and the
blessing of peace.

Before going to Oregon, Father De Smet accompanied a
Government expedition against the Mormons. Driven
first from Illinois, then from Missouri, because of their
low morals, the Latter Day Saints retired in 1847 to Salt
Lake, a town situated west of the Rocky Mountains. 2
The head of the sect, Brigham Young, exercising autocratic
authority over his followers, aspired to establish Mor-
monism throughout the entire American Continent. Oc-
cupying the post of Governor of Utah Territory, he de-
clared his independence of the Federal Government.
From his "New Jerusalem' 1 the prophet defied the Presi-
dent in Washington. Government officials were forced to
leave the State, or forbidden to exercise their functions.
Congress appointed a new Governor of Utah, who set out
in the autumn of 1857 with an escort of three thousand
soldiers to enforce his authority. Brigham Young lay in
wait for the enemy, and surprising a convoy of foodstuff,
burned the wagons and made off with the beeves, horses,
and mules, leaving the small army destitute in the heart of
the desert.

This news decided the Government to send a second
expedition in the spring, commanded by General Harney,
a well-known Indian fighter, who had suppressed the
Indian uprisings in Florida, Texas, and New Mexico.
Prudent and energetic, he was the man eminently fitted
to undertake the subjection of the Mormons. Before en-

1 Letter to Gustave Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, July 25, 1857.

2 Father De Smet knew the Mormon country. "In the autumn of 1846,"
he wrote, "on approaching the Missouri border, I found an advance-guard
of about ten thousand Mormons camped upon the Omahas' lands, not far
from old Council Bluffs. The sect had, for the second time, been driven out
of one of the States of the Union. Their intention was to winter in the-
great desert, and penetrate further into the interior to escape their perse-
cutors, but the place of residence was not yet decided upon. They plied
me with questions about the regions I had traversed. My accounts of the
villages in Utah pleased them greatly. Did this determine them to select
Salt Lake? I cannot say." (Letter to Charles De Smet, St. Louis, March
10, 1851.)

270 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

tering upon the campaign, the General, wishing to assure
religious ministrations to his soldiers, of whom three-
quarters were Catholics, asked to have Father De Smet
appointed chaplain.

On May 13, 1858, our missionary received his official
appointment from the Secretary of War, which read as
follows:

"It is the President's intention to attach you to the
army of Utah in the capacity of chaplain, in the belief
that in this position you will render important services to
the country. The President himself charges me to express
to you his desire, in the hope that this charge will neither
be incompatible with your ecclesiastical duties, nor against
your own inclination." Father De Smet, hoping to com-
bine a visit to the Oregon tribes with this journey, sub-
mitted the proposition to his Superior. The Provincial
advised him to accept, and a few days later the new chap-
lain left St. Louis to join the army at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas.

General Harney received the missionary courteously,
assuring him that every facility would be given him for
exercising his ministry. "He kept his word loyally,"
writes Father -De Smet, "and his officers imitated his
example. The soldiers were allowed to come to my tent
for instructions and confession. Often at daybreak I had
the consolation of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice, and of
seeing a goodly number of soldiers approach the holy
table." 8

Although forming a part of the army of Utah, the
missionary had opportunity of ministering to the Indians
through whose country he passed. He gave several in-
structions to the Pawnees, Sioux, and Cheyennes, and
baptized many children. In going up the Nebraska they
met bands of Mormons en route for Kansas and Missouri,
who expressed their joy at escaping from the despotism of
Brigham Young. General Harney was informed by them
that many others had decided to renounce the sect. This
news encouraged the General in expecting a speedy sub-
jugation of the country. Some days later, in fact, came
the news that the Mormons would offer no resistance.

8 Letter to the Father General, St. Louis, Nov. 1, 1859.

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MORMONS 271

The new Governor had been installed and his authority
recognized by the people. General Harney then received
orders to return East with his troops. Judging his mission
at an end, Father De Smet, upon his return to St. Louis,
offered his resignation as chaplain to the Secretary of War,
but as new difficulties were then threatening west of the
Rocky Mountains, his resignation was not accepted.

For fifteen years the Oregon tribes had lived peacefully
and happily under the watchful eyes of the missionaries.
Great numbers of Indians had received baptism. All were
taught agriculture; the harvests were abundant; the
mills worked regularly; and new ground for cultivation
was being broken continually. When, in 1854, the Gov-
ernment agents penetrated to the mountain tribes, they
marveled at the results obtained, and were loud in their
praise of the bravery, piety, honesty, intelligence, and in-
dustry of the new Christians. "I could hardly believe my
eyes," said one of them. "I asked myself 'Am I among
the Indians among people the world calls savages ?'" 4
Knowing the former abject condition of the tribes, they
voiced their admiration in the following words: "Thanks
to the untiring labors of the missionaries, the Indians have
made great progress in agriculture. They are being in-
structed in the Christian religion; they have abandoned
polygamy, are pure in morals, and edifying in conduct.
The work of these Fathers is truly marvelous." 5

This testimony from Protestant pens permits us to
realize, faintly, what the Indians might have become if the
United States had left to the Catholics the task of civiliz-
ing them, instead of following a policy of extermination.
But the missionaries were not destined to reap the fruits
of their labors. The same combination of circumstances
that brought about the closing of St. Mary's in 1850 would,
several years later, imperil the other "reductions."

Since the discovery of gold, the white man had invaded
the West. * ' Imagine, ' ' writes.Father De Smet, ' ' thousands

4 See Selected Letters, 2d Series, pp. 206-217. Long extracts of reports
sent by Governor Stevens to the President.

6 Lieutenant Mullan, "Explorations from the Mississippi River to the
Pacific Ocean." Vol. I, p. 308.

272 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

of adventurers from every country; deserters, thieves,
murderers, the scum of the United States, Mexico, Peru,
Chili, and the Sandwich Islands, living together, free of
all law and restraint." 6 From California this gold-seeking
army spread to the territories of Oregon and Washington.
In defiance of all law they drove out the natives, forcing
them to seek refuge in the mountains. There is no darker
page in history than the story of the "White Conquest." 7
In exchange for their lands, horses, and furs, the whites
gave whiskey to the Indians. Drink being the passion of
the race, they eagerly seized upon the fatal liquor. We
remember the drunken orgies of the Potawatomies; the
same scenes were now enacted in Oregon and California.
Men slaughtered each other by the hundreds, and the
women and children dragged themselves like animals
around their wigwams.

Yet fatal as was the effect of alcohol, its action was too
slow to satisfy the invaders. They concluded that the
revolver was more expeditious than whiskey, and offered
twenty dollars for every Indian scalp. Men killed as a
training in marksmanship, and to try their weapons.
What value had an Indian's life, when that of the white
man was held so lightly?

Yet still more revolting machinations were resorted to.
Arsenic was mixed with the flour and sugar sold to the
Indians; their springs, from which they obtained drinking-
water, were poisoned with strychnine, and clothing reeking
with infection was given to them. "The following," says
a missionary, "was told me by an eye-witness. It hap-
pened on the Pacific coast. The whites had decided to
destroy an Indian camp, and to accomplish their fell
purpose they hung from a tree in front of the camp the
clothing of a man who had just died from small-pox.
The Indians, catching sight of the garments, were en-
chanted, and proceeded to don them at once. Before long
this terrible malady appeared, and of several hundred
Indians, only a dozen poor wretches remained to weep over

6 Letter to his brother Charles, St. Louis, April 26, 1849.

7 "It would require a volume to recount the injustice, brutality, and
murders committed in the last thirty years upon the Pacific coast, the details
of which are too horrible to be believed." Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century
of Dishonor/' p. 337. -

EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MORMONS 273

the ravages wrought by the disease." 8 If to these de-
structive causes are added the evils engendered by the im-
morality of the whites, one readily understands how the
Indian population in California fell in ten years from
100,000 to 30,000 souls.

Reascending the valley of the Columbia, the gold-
seekers occupied the lands of the Cayuses, Walla Wallas,
Nez Perces, Yakimas, and Spokanes. The "reductions"
were threatened. What then would become of Father
De Smet's work? The St. Paul-Colville Mission, founded
for the Chaudieres in 1845, had rapidly developed under
Father De Vos' direction. It counted at least a thousand
baptized Indians, all faithful to religious practices. After
1855 the aspect of things changed. The whites seized
the lands under cultivation, and the villages, given over
to debauchery and drunkenness, became theaters of the
worst excesses.

Father Vercruysse, who had labored six years in Colville,
wrote in 1857, "Since these hordes of foreigners have
arrived in search of gold the Indian is no longer the same
man. Demoralized by bad language and bad example,
they no longer heed us. Gambling, stealing, illicit dealings,
divorce, and sorcery have again begun and reduced them
to the condition they were in before the arrival of the
Fathers. Their sole means of salvation lies in separating
them from the whites. " 9 "The Indians are not innately
wicked," adds the missionary, "only frivolous and stupid.
They are kind-hearted, and if left to our care and influence
would be angels." 10

For three years Fathers Vercruysse and Ravalli con-
tended with the invaders for the souls of their neophytes.
"For the love of God and the salvation of the Indians,
I am happy to be here, otherwise a day seems a cen-
tury."

Finally, at the close of the year 1858, the mission was
abandoned, and the Fathers, with a few remaining Chris-

8 Article by Father de Rouge in Les fitudes, 1890, Vol. I, p. 492. "It is
certain that the whites sought to poison all the Indian tribes, and I have
heard them discussing which method would be the best." Julius Froebel,
quoted by Marshall, "Christian Missions," Vol. II, p. 438.

9 Letter to Father Broeckaert, Colville, Nov. 13, 1857.

10 Ibid., June 13, 1859.

274 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

tians, retired to the Coeur d'Alenes. The Sacred Heart
Mission, in charge of Father Joset, also began to suffer
from the proximity of the emigrants. Many Christian
Indians fell into the vice of gambling, and ceased attend-
ance at church. The last Easter the -Fathers were there,
only half of the tribe approached the Sacraments. "You
. told us the religion of the whites would make us better
men," they said to the missionaries, "yet the whites we
see are worse than we are."

The Indians, nevertheless, struggled against the in-
vasion of their territory. First in California and then in
Lower Oregon they attempted terrible reprisals. In the
endeavor to establish peace, the Government offered, in
1855, to buy the lands lying between the Willamette and
the country of the Blackfeet. The tribes returning to the
north would then have nothing more to fear from the
incursions of the emigrants. But the Indians had been
too often deceived to believe now in the good faith 'of the
whites. Far from accepting the proposition, the Cayuses,
Yakimas, Nez Perces, and the Palooses excited the Oregon
tribes against the invaders. Christian Indians who de-
murred to take up arms were taunted and called " women*'
and "Little dogs, that can only bark when danger threat-
ens." The missionaries were denounced as enemies.
"They are white, like the Americans/' said the chief of the
Yakimas, "and all are alike."

In the spring of 1858 Colonel Steptoe, at the head of a
company of cavalry, arrived in Willamette to establish
peace around Fort Colville. He camped in the neighbor-
hood of the Coeur d'Al&nes, who, judging their tribe
threatened, despite Father Josefs protestations to the
contrary, deemed the moment propitious for measuring
their strength with the United States. Surprising the
small command, they killed two officers and several sol-
diers. Inferior in numbers, the Americans retired pre-
cipitately, abandoning their baggage and cannon. The
Indians, carried away with this easy victory, thought
themselves invincible, and the mountains rang with their
cries and threats of revenge.

Determined to put an end to this condition, the Federal
Government summoned General Hartley, who, in accepting

FATHER DE SMET RIDING WITH THE INDIANS

PACIFICATION OF OREGON 275

command of the troops, asked once more to have Father
De Smet appointed chaplain. Knowing the missionary's
influence over the Indians, he believed his mediation would
put an end to hostilities. The mission was a delicate one.
What would the Indians think when they saw the mis-
sionary attached to the army that had come to make war
on them? But peace in Oregon meant the saving of the
" reductions. " Trusting in God, Father De Smet, with
the consent of his Superiors, prepared for immediate de-
parture.

In order to avoid crossing the wilderness, General
Harney decided to go across the Isthmus of Panama and
enter Oregon through the mouth of the Columbia. Leav-
ing New York September 2oth, he arrived a month later
at Vancouver. Upon his arrival, the General heard, to
his great surprise, that peace had been made. Wishing to
avenge Steptoe's defeat, Colonel Wright left for Walla
Walla the end of August and, through his clever tactics,
routed the united forces of the Coeur d'Al&nes, Spokanes,
and Kalispels early in September. Disconcerted by this
prompt reprisal, the tribes were ready to make peace.
They gave hostages, and, moreover, surrendered several
Indians, guilty of having assassinated Americans, to be
hanged.

The Indians were vanquished, but not reconciled.
Neither had the promises of the victors dispelled mistrust
nor calmed resentment. Hence it was imperative to
make the tribes realize that they must submit, and effect
a friendly understanding with the Government which was
prepared to guarantee them against further inroads of
emigrants. Otherwise the war could at any moment
break out again. The season was too far advanced to
permit troops to set out for the mountains. Father De Smet
offered to go alone to spend the winter with the Indians
and consolidate the peace, and to return in the spring
to give his report to the General.

On October zgth Father De Smet left Vancouver.
Four hundred miles lay between him and the nearest mis-
sion, that of the Cceur d'Alnes. At Fort Walla WaHa
lie met the hostages taken two months previously by

276 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Colonel Wright. "Fearing they were in danger of being
corrupted," says Father Vercruysse, " Father De Smet
asked that the Indians might be allowed to return with
him to their country. 'Impossible,' replied the Colonel,
'without express authorization from General Harney.'
'Very good/ said Father De Smet. 'I will answer for it
that you will not be reproved by him for acceding to my
request. I know well the Spokanes, Coeur d'Alnes, and
the Kalispels. They are my children, and I will answer
for their loyalty with my head, which will be at the dis-
position of the General should these Indians be untrue
to their word.' The Colonel no longer opposed the de-
parture of the hostages, who set out with their Father,
happy as souls escaping from limbo/ 711

This arrangement furnished Father De Smet with guides
and traveling companions, and, above all, assured him
a welcome from the tribes. Arriving at the Cceur d'Alenes
November 2ist, he was enthusiastically welcomed as the
friend, father, and liberator of the Indians. After an
absence of twelve years, the missionary again found him-
self in the midst of those to whom he had given the light
of faith. The "reduction" had steadily prospered, pos-
sessing now a beautiful church, comfortable houses, a mill,
workshops, rich pastures, and fields of prodigious fertility.
But even their prosperity was a menace, for the whites
began to covet the mission lands. The thought of being
obliged to one day leave the tombs of their fathers plunged
the Indians into black despair. Father De Smet vigorously
denounced the conduct of the emigrants, and the Christian
Indians promised to have no further dealings with them.
Moreover, he assured the Government that while repress-
ing the violent acts of the Indians, he must at the same
time defend their rights.

To recommence hostilities would be folly. General
Harney informed the tribes that the Government, always
generous to a conquered foe, was prepared, nevertheless,
to protect its citizens in every part of the territory, and
that entire obedience to the Government would be their
only safeguard. The troops they had attacked the previ-
ous autumn were still in Oregon, and at the slightest sign
11 Letter to Father Broeckaert, June 13, 1859.

PACIFICATION OF OREGON 277

of rebellion they would leave for the mountains with orders
to show no quarter. 12

The Coeur d' Alines, it will be remembered, had taken up
arms only at the instigation of the pagan tribes, with the
sole object of defending their lands. Hence they were
easily brought to terms of peace. But Father De Smet
looked to religion as the sole means of subduing the cruel
instincts of the Indians. The three months he spent at
the mission were consecrated, in a large part, to instructing
the neophytes, and in bringing back to Christian practices
those who were led away through contact with the whites.

"I sang midnight Mass on Christmas, " he writes.
"The Indians men, women, and children chanted the
Vivat Jesus, the Gloria, and the Credo, and sang hymns in
their native tongue in perfect accord. I cannot express the
joy and consolation this solemnity occasioned me in the
vasts of the desert. It reminded me of the reunions of the
early Christians, who were of one mind and one soul.
Eight days before Christmas the Indians began their
preparation for confession, and all, with few exceptions,
approached the holy table. Such occasions are not for-
gotten, and the memory of this feast will remain one of the
most agreeable of my life." 13

Impatient to visit the other tribes, Father De Smet
departed the middle of February for St. Ignatius' Mission. 14
A severe winter rendered the journey a perilous one.
Shooting the rapids in the Clarke River in a frail canoe
was attended with grave dangers, but the joy of seeing his
neophytes again, and the hope of effecting peace, rendered
him indifferent to fatigue and danger. Finally the mis-
sionary arrived at the Kalispels, who received him with
joyful demonstrations befitting the Black Robe who had
been the first to give them the knowledge of the Master
of life. This, the most prosperous of the Oregon Missions,
counted two thousand Christian Indians. Less exposed to
contact with the whites than the St. Paul or Sacred Heart
missions, this tribe, tinder Father Hoecken 7 s watchful

12 Quoted from Chittenden-Richardson, p. 1572.

13 Letter to the Father General, St. Louis, Nov. i, 1859.

"This "reduction," founded fifteen years before, near the mouth of the
Clarke River, was transferred in 1854 to a more favorable situation some
miles north of St. Mary's, and became part of St. Francis Borgia's Mission.

278 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

care, still adhered to its first fervor. Shortly after Father
De Smet's arrival the Kootenais appeared, having traveled
for days through the deep snow to come and shake the
missionary's hand and assure him of their fidelity to his
teachings. Only the Flatheads now remained. Despite
the sorrow of finding everything in ruins, Father De Smet
wished to see once more the old and ever dear St. Mary's
Mission.

The passion for gambling had evidently brought about
grave disorders, but the evil was not irreparable. The old
Indians deplored the blindness of the tribe, and all ar-
dently desired the return of the missionaries. The chief
had traversed Oregon in search of Father Mengarini.
The year before, upon the occasion of a visit of one of the
Fathers from St. Ignatius, the greater number had ap-
proached the Sacraments, and began again to say their
prayers.

Following the example of the Coeur d'Al&nes, the other
Christian tribes promised not to begin war. The Flat-
heads and Kalispels boasted of never having spilled the
blood of the white man, and of having entered the coalition
solely for the defence of their rights.

The pacifier encountered greater opposition from the
pagan tribes, but Father De Smet's uprightness and
touching kindness so influenced the Indians, that he suc-
ceeded in modifying their defiant attitude. The Spokanes,
Yakimas, Palooses, Okinagans, and the ChaudiSres prom-
ised to accept the Government's conditions. On April 16,
1859, the missionary started for Vancouver accompanied
by nine Indian chiefs, delegated by their respective tribes
to sign a treaty of peace with the agents of the Republic.
Alone and -unarmed, a Jesuit priest had been able to do
more to restore peace irx the country than the American
troops*

Father De Smet's efforts in behalf of peace were crowned
with success, but the journey had been a most difficult one.
It required more than a month's travel to reach general
headquarters. "We ran many dangers by reason of deep
snows and high waters. For ten days we steadily hacked
our way through dense forests where the ground was en-
cumbered with thousands of fallen trees blown down by

PACIFICATION OF OREGON 279

tempests and covered with a blanket of snow from six
to eight feet deep. I fell with my horse many times a day,
but apart from some bruises I came forth safe and sound
in limb from this awful journey. " 15

The chiefs finally arrived at headquarters, where they
were ushered into the presence of General Harney and the
Superintendent of Indian Affairs. They renewed their
assurances of submission, asked for the friendship of the
Americans, and expressed regret for the blindness that had
led them to taking up arms. They promised, moreover,
that no further molestations would be made upon the
whites crossing their lands, if the Government in turn
would consent to give the Indians "reserves," and engage
itself to protect them.

Such dispositions won for the Indians a cordial reception
from the General. He gave them presents, and promised
them the protection of the United States. Nor did he de-
lay in informing the Government of the important services
rendered by Father De Smet to the army. "I am con-
vinced that with prudence we have nothing further to fear
from a serious outbreak in this country." 16

Not content with negotiating peace, Father De Smet
labored to prevent future conflicts, and to accomplish
this he saw no other means save to cut off the savage from
all contact with the white. In an interesting report he
exposes his plan to General Harney. "The United States-
was to cede to the Indians 'reserves' comprising the country
lying between the Rocky Mountains, the Bitter Root
Mountains, and the Kootenais River, where, under direction
of the missionaries and Government protection, would be
assembled all the tribes scattered over the territories of
Oregon and Washington." 17

Impressed by the advantage this project offered, the
General communicated the proposition to the Secretary
of War. "The region in question," he said, "will not
be occupied by the white man for at least twenty years;
it is difficult of access and does not offer the colonists the
advantages they find everywhere on the coast. The system

16 Letter to the Father General, Nov. I, 1859.

16 Quoted from Chittenden-Ridhardson, p. 1576.

17 Ibid., p. 970 et $6%.

2 8o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

in use in California of gathering into one 'reserve' large
numbers of Indians and of forcing them to adopt imme-
diately the habits of the white man, has failed because of
the too sudden transition imposed upon the primitive and
rebellious tribes. Father De Smet's plan avoids this dis-
advantage. He would place the Indians in a country
abounding with game and fish, and where there is sufficient
agricultural land to encourage tilling the soil. The- mis-
sionaries in charge possess complete authority over the
tribes, and, enjoying their full confidence, would lead them
gradually to accept the exigencies of civilization, when
the inevitable decree of time shall bring the onward march
of progress to their door.

"The history of the Indian race on our continent shows
that the missionaries succeeded when military and civil
authorities failed. In an affair that affects the white man
not less than the Indian, it would be wisdom to profit by
the lessons of experience, and adopt Father De Smet's
plan." 18 The Government, unfortunately, thought other-
wise. Nevertheless, General Harney must be given credit
for having tried to turn to account wise and humanitarian
counsels.

Father De Smet's mission was now finished. Wishing to
see once again the mountain stations, and to visit the
Missouri tribes, he obtained permission from his Superior
to return to St. Louis overland. On June i$th he left
Vancouver with an escort of Indian chiefs returning to
their respective countries. Some months later he received
the following lines from Alfred Pleasonton, an officer in
the army of Oregon:

"My dear Father: We all deplore your departure. I
have yet to meet an officer who does not express his regret.
To you we owe the good understanding that now exists
between the whites and the Indians. The General asks me
to express to you his sincere gratitude for the valuable
services you rendered the country during your sojourn
here. He wishes to renew to you his assurances of high
regard and lasting friendship. As for myself, I am conscious
of my loss in this separation. Your goodness and kindness
impressed me greatly, and helped me to conquer my own

18 Chittenden-Richardson, p. 1579.

CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS 281

intractable nature. Be my friend, I beg of you, and help
me to acquire the priceless blessings that religioh and
virtue offer." 19

The author of this letter became one of the leading
geaerals in the United States army, and this testimony
proves that Father De Smet had filled worthily his office
of chaplain.

The Rocky Mountain Mission, as we have seen in the
preceding pages, had been attached since 1854 to the Turin
Province. Notwithstanding this, the Fathers in Oregon
continued to regard Father De Smet as the main support of
the " reduction/' He collected funds, and sent yearly from
St. Louis ample provisions of foodstuff, clothing, grain,
farm implements, and tools. He obtained authorizations
and subsidies from the Government, and he never left
Europe without bringing back with him several mission-
aries. Unceasingly he recommended his "poor children of
the desert " to the solicitude of the Father General.

Profiting by his presence in the country, Father Con-
giato, Superior of the missions, sought his advice. Since
the abandonment of the St. Mary's and the St. Paul-
Colville Missions, the Jesuits had but two "reductions"
in Oregon the Cceur - d'Alenes and the Kalispels. It
was deemed wise to reconstruct the ruined missions,
profiting by the good dispositions of the Indians, if possi-
ble also to establish new posts. Like the Flatheads, the
Chaudi&res regretted the departure of the missionaries.
"Black Robe/' they said, "we wish to be good, and do
the will of the Great Spirit. But see how exposed we are !
The whites are daily becoming more numerous in our coun-
try; they offer us whiskey, and say we are not forbidden
to drink it. Before their arrival we found no difficulty in
being good; to-day all is changed."

In answer to this appeal it was decided that Father
Joset should leave to open a mission at Colville. The
Fathers were unable to take immediate possession of St.
Mary's. The recently founded California Mission 20 had

19 Port Vancouver, Nov. 9, 1859.

20 In 1849, at the urgent wish of the Bishop of Monterey, Fathers Accolti
and Nobili had been sent to California to look after the Catholic emigrants,

19

282 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

reduced to six the number of priests laboring in the moun-
tains. Notwithstanding this the Flatheads were not aban-
doned. Several times a year the missionaries from St.
Ignatius' went to instruct them and administer the Sacra-
ments.

Of all the Indian tribes, the Kootenais were the most
interesting. "In this tribe, " writes Father De Smet,
11 evangelical fraternity, simplicity, innocence, and peace
reign. Their honesty is so well known that a merchant
can absent himself for a week at a time and leave his store
open. During his absence the Indians enter, take what they
want, and upon the proprietor's return he is faithfully
paid. One of the storekeepers assured me that he had never
missed the value of a pin/' 21

The Kootenais built a church with their own hands in
which they assembled night and day for prayers. Two
or three times a year they received a visit from the mis-
sionary. At Easter and the principal feasts the tribe
repaired to St. Ignatius 1 to receive the Sacraments and
devoted several days to religious exercises.

East of the mountains, Father Hoecken was preparing
to found a mission for the Blackfeet, who, since the Gospel
had been preached to them, had ceased molesting the
Oregon tribes. Still, the missionaries feared that their
savage instincts might reawaken. The Father General
finally acceded to Father De Smet's insistent supplications,
and allowed him to take up Father Point's work. In a
few months St. Peter's Mission near the Sun River counted
one hundred neophytes. Peace now seemed firmly estab-
lished. The "reductions" were again prospering, and
Father De Smet decided to return to St. Louis.

Father Congiato accompanied him to the Oregon bor-
der, and this journey enabled him to see for himself and
admire Father De Smet's relations with the Indians.
"Never shall I forget the happiness I experienced during
the journey I made with Father De Smet to the different
tribes. With my own eyes I saw the respect, love, and

and were soon joined by Fathers De Vos and Mengarini. They founded
large^ missions at San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Jose". The Mission
definitely constituted in 1854 was later detached from the Oregon Mission*
21 Letter to the Father General, Nov. i, 1859.

CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS 283

esteem in which he is held by the Indians, and which he
richly deserves. One cannot fail to be touched by his char-
ity and his tenderness for a race universally despised and
persecuted. The Indians call him their father, but his
feelings for them are more those of a mother. " 22

It was no easy task in those days to cross the mountains
that separated the Sacred Heart Mission from that of
St. Ignatius. " Imagine a dense virgin forest, the ground
strewn with thousands of uprooted trees. The paths are
hidden and obstructed by these barricades that imperil the
life of horse and rider at every step. Two large streams
wind through the forest, whose beds are formed of boulders
of fallen rock and glistening stones deposited by the rush-
ing water. The path crosses the first of these streams
thirty-nine times, the other thirty-two times. Often my
horse stood in water to his breast and at times even over
the saddle, but one is lucky to escape with only soaked
legs. A mountain of 5,000 feet lies between the two
rivers, with here and there vast plateaux covered with
eight feet of snow. After eight hours of hard climbing
we arrived in a flowering plain, where, sixteen years
before, during my first journey, a cross had been erected.
This beautiful spot tempted me to pitch our camp; but
Father Congiato, convinced that a two hours' walk would
bring us to the foot of the mountain, advised us to push on.

"The two hoiirs passed, then four hours, and night
overtook us in the midst of a thousand difficulties. Mounds
of snow and barricades of fallen trees were again en-
countered; at times we were obliged to creep along the
edge of pointed rocks and down almost perpendicular
inclines. The least false step would have precipitated
us God knows where. In pitch-black darkness, without a
guide, and off the path, we fell time and again, groping
our way on all-fours and then rolling down the declivity.
At last the roar of the stream we were seeking was heard
in the distance, and each of us directed his steps in that
direction. About midnight we came straggling in in a
state of exhaustion, after a sixteen hours' march, our
clothes in ribbons. We were bruised and cut all over,
but had no serious injuries.

22 Letter of Jan. 20, 1860; published in the San Francisco Monitor.

284 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

"The evening meal was hastily prepared, and each one
recited his troubles and experiences to the great amuse-
ment of the entire camp. The excellent Father Congiato
admitted he had miscalculated the distance and was the
first to laugh heartily over the adventure." 23

Father De Smet undoubtedly possessed a cheerful na-
ture and robust health. The unexpected in his travels
never annoyed or disconcerted him, but nothing short of
his love for the Indians could have induced him, at fifty-
eight years of age, to face such hardships and adventures.

At Fort Benton he and Father Congiato separated. In
the hope of meeting an even greater number of the tribes,
he wished to make the long journey to St. Louis on horse-
back, but finding that his six horses were exhausted, and
their unshod hoofs worn down by the stones and rocks of
the mountain roads, he was forced to abandon the project.
A skiff was hastily constructed, three rowers and a pilot
were engaged, and on August sth he embarked on the
Missouri River for St. Louis.

"We slept in the open/ 1 he writes, "or under a little
tent, at times on a sand-bar or again on the edge of the
plains or in the forest. Wolves, bears, and wildcats
howled in the distance, but we were undismayed, 'for God
has implanted the fear of men in all animals/ 24

"In the desert, we wondered at the paternal Providence
of God and were filled with sentiments of gratitude over
His wonderful provision for the needs of His children.
Food was not lacking; we even lived in abundance. The
river provided us with excellent fish, water-hens, ducks,
bustards, and swans; the forest yielded fruits and nuts,
and game was not lacking. Herds of buffalo roamed
the plains, and roebuck, venison, young kids, big-horns,
pheasants, partridges, and wild turkeys abounded/' 25

On the way Father De Smet met thousands of Indians:
Assiniboins, Crows, Mandans, Grosventres, Sioux, etc.
He remained two or three days with each tribe, baptizing
the children, instructing adults, comforting the dying, and,

88 Letter from Father De Smet to the Father General, Nov. I, 1859.
44 Terror tester ac tremor sit super cuncta animalia terras. (Genesis, ix, 2.)
* Letter to Laura Blondel, wife of Charles De Smet, St. Louis, Oct. 13,

CONDITION OF THE MISSIONS 285

incidentally, looking about with the object of establishing
missions. Everywhere he was cordially received. The
Missouri River Indians had long wished for a Black
Robe, and Father De Smet promised to support their
petition with his Superiors and to come himself to visit
them.

After traveling several hundred leagues in his skifl the
missionary went aboard a steamboat, and six days later,
on September 23d, arrived in St. Louis. "To God alone
be all the glory," he writes, "and to the Blessed Virgin
my humble and profound gratitude for the blessings and
protection accorded me during this journey ! My greatest
consolation is to have been God's instrument of salvation
to about nine hundred dying children on whom I conferred
baptism; many of these seemed but to await this grace
before winging their flight to heaven, there to praise God
for all eternity." 26

During the year that had passed the missionary, in his
various journeys, had covered about fifteen thousand miles.
26 Letter to the Father General, Nov. I, 1859.

CHAPTER XVIII

FAMILY INTERCOURSE JOURNEYS -TO EUROPE (1853-1860)

"The Rule of St. Ignatius Does Not Forbid Us to Love Our Family**
Father De Smet's Devotion to His Family He Shared in All Their Joys
and Sorrows Even His Letters Are an Apostolater His Many Journeys
in Belgium Death of His Brother Charles Father De Smet's Con-
ferences His Timidity His Tales Impressions of a Belgian Semin-
arian Scenes on Board the Huwboldt Shipwreck A Sunrise at Sea
The Missionary Receives an Ovation upon His Return to St. Louis.

VTEITHER his long journeys nor his multiple labors
* N ever altered or affected Father De Smet's intercourse
with his family and friends in Belgium. " Separation, " he
writes, "even when voluntary or, rather, when imposed
by conscience and religion, can never destroy in the heart
of man the tenderness engendered by memories of family
and country. My hair may turn white, my sight fail,
my strength diminish, but my affection for you suffers no
change. Every day at the altar I beg the help and pro-
tection of heaven for my family. All I ask in return is
that you will keep me ever in your affections, and that
you will sometimes pray for your Uncle Peter, and for
the conversion of his poor Indians. " 1

As neither age nor distance affected his family relations,
neither did his religious life render him indifferent to his
people. "Surely the rule of St. Ignatius does not forbid
us to love our own, and I must say that Charles has always
held a special place in my affections. " 2 Should any of his
fellow-religious refuse to their families the consideration he
thought due them, they were reproached for excessive
severity. "It is wrong not to write to one's relatives.

1 Letter to his nieces, Sylvia, Elmira, and Rosalie, daughters of his brother
Charles, St. Louis, April 22, 1853.

2 Letter to Mr. Blondel of Antwerp, St. Louis, April 22, 1855. Charles,
the eldest son of Father De Smet's brother Francis, had just married
Mr. Blondel's daughter.

FAMILY INTERCOURSE 287

Every one is then dissatisfied; both family and acquaint-
ances." 3

Father De Smet's correspondence shows that he never
neglected any of his family, and always longed to have news
of them. "Write me often, I beg you. Tell me about
your good wife, and your dear little children, about your
parents, sisters, 'Monsieur le Cure/ and other friends and
acquaintances. Have any new marriages and baptisms
taken place? Believe that I take a lively interest in all that
concerns the happiness of the family." 4

To Charles his nephew: "I want to remind you of the
solemn compact we made before my last departure from
Belgium, that you would write me once a month, and I
in turn would say Mass for your intention every Saturday.
I can assure you I have never once failed in my promise.
Write me then at once, to dispel the sadness your silence
has caused, and tell your brother Paul to add a few lines
to your letter." 5 In return he promised to be generous.
"Why does Charles delay so long in writing to me? I am
quite ready to write twenty lines for every line he sends
me." 6

In order to keep himself fresh in their memory he fre-
quently sent his family souvenirs of the Far West, such as
richly embroidered moccasins, soft buffalo robes, and suits
made of deer-skin embroidered with porcupine quills.
One day a magnificent map of the United States arrived
in Termonde. ' ' Hang this map in a conspicuous place in
your house, and now and then glance at it. You will be
able to trace the countries through which I have traveled
in my journeys from New Orleans to Halifax, and from
Nova Scotia to the Athabasca glaciers north of the Rocky
Mountains. Quietly seated in your chair, you can follow
me through the seas, prairies, and mountains I have
traversed, beset with innumerable dangers; in steam-
boats, bark canoes, on horseback, and on foot. Thus
you will often think of me, and the idea of writing to me
will oftener occur to you." 7

3 Letter to Father Truyens, St, Louis, Jan. 16, 1854.

* Letter to Gustave Van Kerckhove of Antwerp, a nephew of Father De
Smet by marriage, St. Louis, July 3, 1856.
, B Cincinnati, Aug. 2, 1854. To his brother Francis.

7 To Charles and Rosalie Van Mossevelde, Bardstown, April 20, 1855*

288 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

When the long-looked-for letter arrived, the happy
uncle quickly forgot the months of waiting. But not-
withstanding his impatience for news, he seems always to
have found excuses for the delinquent. "A little negli-
gence or idleness is not to be wondered at in poor human
nature, when the mind is filled with important affairs.
One is justified in putting off the person who will suffer
the least from the delay. " 8

Those who accuse the religious life of destroying natural
ties could read Father De Smet's letters with profit.
Never was a missionary so devoted to his family. Even
when six thousand miles separated him from his country
he still seemed always to live in spirit with his own. He
shared their sorrows and joys and the minutest detail was
of interest. His predilection, like that of his divine
Master, was always for children and the young. Upon
receiving news of the birth of his nephews he writes,
"In God's name I bless them from afar. Send me their
names that I may add them to my list of mementoes at
Mass." 9 He loved these innocent souls even before
they were born. "The enclosed holy picture is for
Elmira's first child. Please give it to her with my best
wishes the day of its birth." 10 Paul made his first com-
munion at twelve years of age. "Tell him he must offer
a communion for his Uncle Peter, who will say ten Masses
for him." u

To Charles, about to be married, he writes, "I share in
the joy these events bring to the family. Although the
wedding-day in the month of May is not mentioned in
your letter, I will offer the holy sacrifice every day for
your and Alice's happiness. The movement of the boat
upon which an altar has been erected in no way prevents
me from keeping my promise. I send you a wedding-
present of a large and beautiful Indian calumet." 12

The feast-days of his brothers and sisters were never
forgotten. He always joined his good wishes to those of

8 To his nephew Charles, St. Louis, April 22, 1854.

9 To Gustave Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, Dec. n, 1859.

10 To Charles and Rosalie Van Mossevelde, Bardstown, April 20, 1855.

11 To his nephew Charles, St. Louis, April 22, 1854.

12 St. Louis, April 20, 1862. He referred in this letter to Alice De Witte,
second wife of Charles De Smet.

FAMILY INTERCOURSE 289

the children of the family. Sometimes his congratulations
were expressed in verse, and with what joy these French
or Flemish poems were read and sung in the family circle !
In 1854, to distract himself from the Know-Nothing move-
ment, he gave free vent to his poetic strain. One of his com-
positions, contains not less than a hundred Alexandrines:
A dialogue between St. Teresa and St. Rosalie, the patron
saints of his two sisters, and while the style can hardly be
called classic, the verses breathe profound religious senti-
ment and delicate affection.

The rugged worker had his hours of naive and charming
pleasantry. "Now that I love my nephew Mr. De Bare
as much as I love my niece Sylvia, 13 you will kindly give
him a faithful description of his uncle, so that, should I
arrive in your absence, he will recognize me. Uncle Peter,
you must tell him, is a man of medium height, with gray
hair rapidly turning white. A nose, of which neither
Greek nor Roman could complain, occupies the center of a
large face. A near neighbor to the nose is a mouth of
ordinary size which only opens to laugh and make others
merry. A peculiarity of his is to inculcate in others the
love of God. The rest proclaims a man of fifty years of
age, weighing 210 pounds. Should you ever build a house,
widen the doors by six inches, for I do not like to squeeze
through a doorway in entering my room." 14 Father De
Smet's letters terminate with greetings from afar to a long
list of friends and relatives whom he assures of his un-
failing remembrances, or of whom he asks prayers. The
list sometimes contains thirty or forty names. Neither
the barber nor the humblest servant is forgotten.

The photographs of his dear absent ones were a source
of great happiness. "I have in St. Louis several photo-
graphs of my family arranged around a beautiful engrav-
ing of the Blessed Virgin, which is the principal ornament
of my poor cell. When I open my eyes in the morning,
and every time I enter my room, my eyes rest upon the
image of my good Mother; and in recommending myself

18 Mr. De Bare had just married Sylvia De Smet.
14 To Sylvia De Smet, October, 1850. Upon the ample proportions of
Father De Smet see Chittenden-Richardson, p. 105.

THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

to her protection I implore her protection for all those who
encircle her." 15

This constant thought of his family may seem incon-
sistent with religious detachment. We must remember,
"however, that perfection does not consist precisely in
loving God alone, but in loving Him above all other
creatures. Certain saints whose austerities are well
known had an abiding affection for their families. St.
Francis Borgia maintained his intercourse with his family,
-sought them out on all occasions, and complained of the
rarity of their visits and letters. Upon his death-bed
he named his sons, brothers, and relatives one by one, that
he might recommend them to God, and even begged his
brother to look after a donkey-driver who had accom-
panied him in his travels. 16

Father De Smet's solicitude for his family never inter-
fered with the discharge of his missionary duties. In his
tenderest and most affectionate letters, one recognizes the
priest and religious firmly fixed on God, interested in all
things, yet judging all in the light from on high. These
same letters were to him as a phase of his apostolate.
Delicately, yet firmly, he addressed to each one a warning
or a counsel, "I feel justified in speaking thus, being the
only priest in the family/'

Hearing that one of his nephews delighted in reading
and meditating upon the Imitation, he writes, "This is
excellent, but not enough. A little courage will make you
add practice to meditation. It does not suffice to know
Jesus Christ; we must love and imitate Him, or our
sublimest conceptions are sterile and worthless." 17 To a
relative suffering from a long illness he sent weekly letters
of encouragement and consolation, and begged the prayers
of the religious orders in St. Louis for her. In every
letter he urged her to imitate the courage and patience of

15 To Charles De Smet, St. Louis, May 5, 1865.

16 Cf. Father Suau, S. J., " Histoire de St. Francois de Borgia," Paris, 1910,
p. 530. As to St. Francis Xavier, that model of missionaries, we know how
devotedly attached he was to his fellow religious in Europe. "In order to
keep you ever with me, I have cut off your signatures from your letters, and
these names are such a consolation to me that I carry them and the formula
of my vows always with me." (To the Fathers and Brothers at Rome,
Amboina, May 10, 1546.)

17 St. Louis, Sept. 25, 1854.

FAMILY INTERCOURSE 291

the saints. "In the words of St. Augustine: 'Can you
not do what so many others have done?' If of yourself
you feel incapable of accomplishing the least good action,
say with the Apostle: 'I can do all things in Him who
strengthens me.* " ls

A few weeks later the pious invalid was called to her,
reward. Father De Smet wrote at once to her husband
to encourage and console him with words of faith and
hope. "The news of Laura's death grieves me beyond
words, and I realize fully the sorrow this loss, as irreparable
as it is premature, has caused you. You have lost a com-
panion who made the happiness of your life, and whose
amiable qualities were only equaled by her solid virtues.

"Dear Charles, the angels have claimed her for whom
you weep. She has been admitted, I dare hope, to the
celestial banquet, and has entered upon her immediate
reward for the sufferings she endured with so much patience
and resignation. I have recommended her soul to the
prayers of our Fathers and the religious orders in St. Louis,
and since receiving the sad news, I have offered the Holy
Sacrifice daily for her soul.

"It is a great consolation to hear that you have accepted
this heavy trial in a truly Christian spirit. You weep,
but not like those who weep without hope. Your dear
Laura has only exchanged her fragile, terrestrial body for
a tabernacle not built by the hands of man. On earth
she was your faithful and beloved companion ; in heaven
she will be your angel and will intercede for you. 7 ' 19

Father De Smet's intercourse with his family was not
confined solely to correspondence. Three times in seven
years, from 1853 to 1860, he returned to Belgium. 20 What
joy for him to find at each visit a more numerous family;
to perform marriage ceremonies, receive souvenirs, and to
see that the affection of his family and friends had stood
the test of time. Now and then a great sorrow would
darken their lives. In November, 1860, Charles De Smet,

18 To Laura Blondel, Charles De Smet's first wife, St. Louis, June i, 1860.

19 To his nephew Charles, St. Louis, July 12, i860.

20 In 1853, 1856, 1860. In 1853 President Pierce sent letters by Father
De Smet to different European Governments.

292 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the missionary's eldest brother, died at his country-place,
Grembergen, in the neighborhood of Termonde. A just
judge, a fervent Christian, his generosity merited the
gratitude of the missions. 21 Father De Smet had the con-
solation of assisting at his last moments, and following
him to the grave.

But it was not to visit his family that he crossed the
ocean. In his capacity of Procurator of the Missions he
had to provide for the needs of the Vice-Province, and,
moreover, find men and money for his mountain missions.
That Father De Smet, above all others, was best fitted for
this delicate task is proven by the fact that he secured
one hundred apostles for the New World, and collected, in
all, over $200,000.

His manner of procedure was as follows: Arriving in
Belgium, he heralded through the press the object of his
visit. 22 Then he began his begging tour, in Belgium and
Holland, followed by similar journeys to Prance, Italy,
Germany, England, and Ireland. His first visits were made
to the families of the missionaries, to the benefactors of the
missions, and to the heads of the Propagation of the

21 Monsieur Charles De Smet, former President, held for several years
the post of Counselor of the Court of Appeals at Ghent. In a statement of
accounts in Father De Smet's handwriting we read: "Don de C (harks) cLson
fr(ere) P(ierre) 20,000 francs. 11

22 "After long journeys in the American wilderness, I see again my own
country and am happy to be able to personally express the missionaries'
gratitude to our benefactors for their generosity to the poor Indians.

"Since my last visit to Belgium I have traversed districts devoid of
missions, and where probably no European has ever set foot. Providence
has upheld my feeble courage, guided my steps, and fructified the seed of
the Gospel in lands where it was heretofore unknown. I have recognized
the good that can be accomplished among these wandering tribes ever at
war with each other, who, having no hope of eternity, are bereft of all
consolation.

"The small number of priests in America are insufficient to minister to
the Catholics and at the same time to the Indians who clamor for a Black
Robe. Hence, I have come to Europe to appeal to your generous hearts.
I come also to ask for material assistance. I know that Belgium is besieged
by missionaries from America, India, and the Orient, and I realize that
benefactors are taxed to the limit of their resources to satisfy these constant
demands. But no one in Europe can form any idea of the need we have for
priests to prevent defection from our ranks, to convert the heathen, and to
train missionaries; for/ money to build churches, support schools, establish
reductions, and thus illumine the desert with the light of faith and the
dawn of civilization." (Letter to the editor of the Brussels Journal, July 2,
1853.)

JOURNEYS TO EUROPE 293

Faith. Then came the turn of the colleges, boarding-
schools, and seminaries. Everywhere he was feastdd and
made welcome. Those privileged ones who attended his
conferences retained a vivid picture of the priest with
flowing locks, who, with touching simplicity, begged bread
for his children. His address, ordinarily calm, almost cold,
and devoid of sentimental demonstration, rang with en-
thusiasm in speaking about the Flatheads or Coeur d'Alnes
and their needs; and in proclaiming the white man's
iniquitous proceedings, his voice warmed and the tears
that trembled on his eyelids rained down his noble, hand-
some face. His eloquence gained for the missions the
, interest of the entire audience.

Although his appeals were always successful, Father
De Smet disliked appearing in public, and on such occa-
sions this man, daring to the point of temerity, betrayed a
pitiful timidity. Once he had promised to speak in the
little church of St. Catherine in Li6ge, but when the day
arrived, filled with embarrassment, he was heard to say:
"I cannot do it. I do not know what to say." "Show
yourself," they said, "and simply say you have come to
make an appeal for your Indians." But the humble mis-
sionary drew back. At the last moment one was obliged
to drag him from his room and conduct him to the church.
He mounted the pulpit, addressed the congregation, and
in a few moments was so carried away by his subject that
his audience, moved and enchanted, could have listened to
him for hours. 23

With the children he was at his best. He loved the
simple, naive reception he received from nuns 24 and in-
nocent little girls and boys, and always asked for a list of
their Christian names in order to give them to the Indian
children he baptized. In many schools 25 he dressed up
young men as redskins and paraded them before the
students amid storms of applause, overjoyed at the pleasure

The fact is recounted by Father Broeckaert, then Pastor of St, Cather-
ine's. Cf. Prfais Historigttes, 1873, p. 328.

24 In particular at the Ursuline convents of Saventhem and Thildonck,
and at the Servants of Mary at Erps-Querbs. The Superior of the last
community was Father De Smet's cousin.

** At Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, and Namur, and even before the students
of the Sorbonne. Cf. Chittenden-Richardson, p. 66.

294 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

he occasioned, and laughing heartily with the little
ones. *

But he excelled in recounting tales and adventures, and
like all missionaries, had many at hand, such as the story
of Louise Sighouin, the Coeur d'Alene saint, 26 and terrifying
ones of Tchatka, the Assiniboin chief, worthy imitator of
Nero and Caligula. 27 Some of his recitals had quite a
savage flavor for example, the tale of the mouthful of
whiskey which the Indians passed from mouth to mouth, the
last one being allowed to swallow it. Only on rare occa-
sions did he speak about himself, but when pressed to
recount his adventures, yielded with his customary sim-
plicity and humor. Once in the Rocky Mountains, in
turning a path, a gray bear pounced upon him, burying his
claws in his chest. Believing himself lost, he repeated the
act of contrition, then, with the gigantic strength born
of danger, he seized the beast by the throat and strangled
him. 28 Through a sulphur match, he acquired great
prestige with the Crows. In wonder at the facility with
which the missionary lighted his pipe, the Indians con-
cluded he possessed magic power, and treated him with
great respect. Before taking leave of them he distributed
boxes of the " mysterious fire." Four years later, when
again visiting the country, Father De Smet was surprised
to see the entire tribe coming forth to receive him. Chiefs
and warriors in gala attire conducted him from lodge to
lodge, where feasts awaited him. The great chief pro-
fessed undying friendship. "Black Robe," he said, "to
you I owe my success at arms," and taking from his
neck a little bag, he displayed the remainder of the
matches which Father De Smet had given him. "I
take them with me whenever I go to war, and if the
match lights the first time I strike it, I fall upon my
enemies, sure of victory." The missionary had the
utmost difficulty in abolishing this ridiculous supersti-
tion. "You see," he said, in conclusion, "with what
trifles man wins renown with the Indians. The possessor

26 Cf. Selected Letters, 2d Series, p. 357.

27 Ibid., ist Series, p. 223.

28 Father Deynoodt, an intimate friend of Father De Smet, records this
fact in his notes. Baron de Woelmont avers that he heard the missionary
recount a similar story. Cf. "L'Habit d'Arlequin," Brussels, 1892, p. 343.

JOURNEYS TO EUROPE 295;

of a few matches passes for a great man and receives dis-
tinguished honors!"

The following anecdote greatly amused his audience:
Surprised one night in the depth of the forest by a snow-
storm, Father De Smet climbed a -tree, and, in searching-
about for a safe spot in which to spend the night, dis-
covered that the tree was hollow. "Aha!" said he, "here
I will be safely sheltered," and proceeded to descend inside.
Arriving at the bottom, he felt something move under his
feet, which turned out to be a brood of harmless young
cubs. Soon, however, the sound of heavy grunts reached
him. The mother bear was returning; her claws were-
already on the bark. She climbed up, then down she-
came, backward. What was the next move? With great
presence of mind the missionary seized her tail with both
hands and pulled it violently. The frightened bear quickly
climbed up again and disappeared into the forest. Master
of the lodging, he remained there quietly until daylight
permitted him to continue on his way. 29

In listening to these tales the children saw before them
only a kindly old man who entertained and amused them,
little dreaming that this priest was one of the greatest
explorers of his time and the protector of the Indian race.
That he knew how to move and impress the seminarians is
evident from the numbers he gained to the apostolate.
Yet he never forced a vocation, nor did he endeavor to
directly influence any one to accompany him. His
method was to expose the condition of the missions. He
spoke affectionately of his dear Indians, awakened interest
in them, and the rest followed naturally.

Among the spiritual notes of a Belgian seminarian we
find the following lines, dated October 28, 1860: "Father
De Smet spoke to us to-day for half an hour. He is un-
questionably the greatest missionary in the world. His
face is noble and gentle, but worn from fatigue. He speaks.
French badly, but even this carelessness of speech is agree-
able. He has done us much good. Here is a true apostle;
a man dead to self, telHng of his travels and labors as
though he were speaking about a third person, and edifying

29 This extraordinary adventure is vouched for by several people who-
heard it from the lips of the missionary.

296 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

us at every turn. How splendid it is to see this priest,
celebrated throughout the world for his achievements,
submissive as a child to his Superiors' orders. 'I will
return to America in May,' he said. 'Such are my Su-
periors' orders.* Yes, go, grand old man, and our prayers
and good wishes will follow you! Work, you who have
accomplished so much, work for those who sank into a
cowardly repose when the heat of the day began; work
for me, who am weak and sinful, or, rather, may your
merits obtain for me the grace to do my part in the Lord's
vineyard! Would that I could follow you there, where the
work is great and the laborers few! May Your divine
will be accomplished in me, O Lord! I submit myself to
You in all things; let not my cowardice stand in the way."

After a sojourn of several months in Europe, Father
De Smet began to prepare for his return to America.
This event, a painful parting to all he left behind, was
none the less so for the missionary, who, having proven
the loyalty of his family and friends, left them with deep
regret. Wishing to keep them in touch with his journeys,
he sent letters from Southampton and Halifax, in which
assurances of affection were mingled with descriptions of
picturesque and lugubrious scenes.

In April, 1857, Father De Smet embarked at Antwerp
with seven new missionaries. "The weather was splendid,
and the steamer alive with animation. We have a multi-
tude of emigrants, Germans, Dutch, Swiss, Belgians, and
French on board. A day's journey brought us to South-
ampton, where the vessel remained until the next day to
take on the English and Irish passengers. We numbered
in all six hundred souls. All day long the ship resounded
with the songs of the Germans and Dutch gathered on
deck, where they danced to the accompaniment of violin
and guitar and accordion. The main deck resembled a
village kermess. But joy does not always tarry long, as
was soon proved.

"Hardly had we passed the Isle of Wight than the aspect
of things changed. A heavy sea came on, the vessel
began to pitch as it rose and fell with the waves, carried
up on the crest one moment, then plunged into an abyss of

JOURNEYS TO EUROPE 297

foaming water. Song and dance ceased; the dining-saloon
was deserted; hunger and gayety disappeared together.
Here and there were dilapidated groups of haggard men
and women and children; pale and livid specters leaned
over the rails in apparent converse with the sea. Even
well ones, who, however, had eaten and drunk too gener-
ously, were wan and the color of parchment." 30 Father
De Smet suffered greatly from seasickness, and notwith-
standing the many voyages he made, he was never free
from this humiliating malady. But this was the least of
the trials he experienced on his various journeys.

In December, 1853, he had taken thirteen young men to
America. Bishop Miege, who had come to Europe to
assist at the election of Father Beckx, also returned with
him upon the same boat, the Humboldt. The coal running
short, orders were given to make for Halifax. Some dis-
tance from port, a fisherman came and offered to take the
vessel in. "Are you a pilot ?" asked the captain. "Yes,"
replied the fisherman. ' ' I can go and fetch my certificate. ' '
The captain, believing him, entrusted him with the man-
agement of the ship. Against the advice of the officers, the
pretended pilot at once changed the direction and soon the
Humboldt >-was heading for the reefs near Devil's Island.
It was six o'clock in the morning and the greater number
of passengers were still in bed. Awakening with a shock,
they rushed up on deck to see pieces of the ship floating
on the water, torn off by a collision with the rocks. Water
rushed into the hold and fire broke out near the boiler.
Lifeboats were lowered, which were immediately filled by
the passengers. But it was impossible to steer a boat in
such a sea through a dense fog.

Vain efforts were made to run the ship on shore, but it
was already settling. Consternation seized all the pas-
sengers, save Bishop Mi&ge and Father De Smet, who
remained calm, says a witness. A third collision threw
every one pell-mell on the deck, and all seemed lost. But
God stayed His hand; the vessel touched ground and rested
firmly upon a rock until help could be obtained. Almost
at the same moment the fog lifted, revealing land not a
.hundred feet away. The waters grew calm, the wind

80 To Charles De Smet, New York, May 14, 1857.
20

298 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

dropped, and radiant sunshine bathed land and sea.
The next day Father De Smet celebrated a Mass of thanks-
giving in the cathedral of Halifax; his traveling com-
panions made communions of thanksgiving in the firm
conviction that they owed their safety to a special inter-
position of heaven.

Intrepid in the face of danger, once it had passed, our
missionary gave himself up to contemplating the works of
God. One evening in May after witnessing a glorious
sunset, he lingered to contemplate the stars reflected in
the water. " Never/' says he in his Itinerary, "have I
seen such a divine night. I remained on deck to enjoy it,
and only retired to my cabin at two o'clock in the morn-
ing." Rising before dawn, he went immediately on deck
to greet the new-born day. "The heavens were pure, the
sea calm; only a faint breeze ruffled the face of the waters. f
From the bosom of the deep the sun rose majestically;
then burst forth in glory, its dazzling rays radiating to all
points of the horizon. In the east the ocean was aflame,
a vast mass of molten gold. A sunrise at sea is a great,
a sublime spectacle. Mirabilia opera tua, Domine, et
anima mea cognoscit minis." sl

At St. Louis many were impatiently awaiting the return
of Father De Smet. Arriving unexpectedly, he appeared
at the University during the distribution of prizes. The
crowded entertainment hall resounded with applause
when the missionary entered. Speeches were suspended,
the victors forgot their crowns, and the humble religious
was forced to submit to a long ovation. "I admit that
at that moment I was far from being at my ease/' Finally
he was allowed to retire, and kneeling, he kissed the door-
step of his cell, and thanked God for having restored him
to his dear Indians.

81 "Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knoweth right well." (Ps.
cxxxviii, 14.)

CHAPTER XIX

THE WAR OF SECESSION (1861-1865)

Civil War in the United States The Battle of Bull Run Anarchy in
Missouri Father De Smet's Trials Father De Smet Secures a Subsidy
for the Indian Schools Obtains Military Exemption for the Jesuits
His Intercourse with Lincoln A Dinner at the Belgian Legation Pub-
lication of the "Western Missions and Missionaries" and the "New
Indian Sketches "It is Said that Father De Smet Did Not Write the
"Letters 7 ' He Addresses a Protest to the German Provincial The
Sisters of St. Mary in America The War Ends Jesuit Chaplains-
Missions Given in the Large Cities "The Church of These Fathers
Must Be the Church of Jesus Christ" The Oath Required by the
State of Missouri Catholicism Makes Great Progress.

UPON landing in New York in the month of April, 1861,
Father De Smet found his adopted country in the
throes of civil war. For a long time there had been
division between the South, anxious to maintain slavery,
and the North, the partisan of emancipation. The election
of President Lincoln, a strong abolitionist, had precipitated
the conflict. The Confederates had seized Fort Sumter and
several arsenals, and the North retaliated by arming two
hundred thousand men and proclaiming a blockade of the
coast States in revolt. It was a terrible war, in which
men of the same blood and country fought with unexampled
ardor and persistency. A million men killed, towns and
cities bombarded, the entire South devastated, the work of
half a century destroyed, two billion dollars expended, the
entire population affected; such was the balance-sheet of
this sanguinary conflict.

Distressed beyond measure by this news, Father De Smet
hastened to St. Louis. A passionate advocate of peace
and liberty, he deplored the military regime to which the
country had been subjected. The press and telegraph were
under Government control, newspapers suppressed, rail-
way lines cut, canal and river transportation intercepted,

300 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

and citizens suspected of treason imprisoned without trial.
"It cannot be denied that the great Republic is as com-
pletely given over to despotism as though it were in the
hands of the Czar of all the Russias." 1

But more than the loss of liberty, Father De Smet
deplored the lives sacrificed to implacable rivalry. He
was in Washington at the time of the famous battle of
Bull Run, and from the heights overlooking the city he
heard the cannon's roar. After a bloody conflict the Federals
began to give way, and were finally routed. ' ' The entrance
of the fleeing men into Washington is the saddest scene I
have ever witnessed. For miles, a straggling line of hag-
gard officers and soldiers of every branch of the service,
in tattered uniforms, without arms and knapsacks, pushed
their way pell-mell among carts, ambulances, and vehicles
of every description." 2

But defeat in no way diminished the courage of the
North. A call was made for five hundred thousand men
and for five hundred million dollars, and the war continued
with varying success for both the combatants.

Two years after the outbreak of hostilities, Father De
Smet writes: "God alone can in His mercy put an end to
this disastrous struggle. Up to this time no one can pre-
dict the final result. Numerous battles have been fought
without leading to any definite result. A horrible war in
which brothers cut each other's throats, and in which
battles are often butcheries. " s

Missouri, being on the border between the free States
and the slave States, was the scene of the worst excesses. 4
Both North and South were largely represented, every
town and village was divided into two opposing camps,

1 Letter to Francis De Smet, St. Louis, April 16, 1862. 2 Ibid., July, 1861.

3 To Mr. J. Van Jersel, St. Louis, Feb., 1863.

4 "You have read of the horrors of the French Revolution and the civil
wars of different centuries and countries; but all that gives only a faint
idea of the condition to which Missouri is reduced. Her own children,
divided between the North and the South, tear one another to pieces and
burn and sack one another's houses, while enemies from without over-
run the State to satisfy their hatred and thirst for pillage. The head of the
rebels has just published a manifesto in which he promises two hundred
million dollars 1 worth of spoils to fifty thousand brigands willing to fight
under his flag. To this condition has Missouri been reduced by detestable
Secession, and yet we are only at the first page of its history." (Letter
of Father De Smet to his brother Francis, St. Louis, Dec. 4, 1861.)

THE WAR OF SECESSION 301

and in the general conflict it was difficult to distinguish a
murder from an act of war.

Murders were on the increase in St. Louis; in two
months there were seventy. The rumor spread that Father
De Smet had been rescued by an armed force from being
burned to death, but the report was unfounded. "I do
not think," he writes, " that I am disliked to such a point." 5
Yet he was none the less horrified at what was taking place
under his eyes. The city he had seen built, and the Uni-
versity he and Father Van Quickenborne had founded,
seemed destined to early ruin. "Only a few months ago
business flourished and the population was increasing.
Since then forty thousand people have left St. Louis and
thousands of houses and stores are vacant. Landed prop-
erty has fallen to one-fourth its value, 6 our great river is
blockaded, and hundreds of steamboats are lying idle along
the levee. Farm products rot in barns and sheds. The
college has opened with only a third of its pupils. When
and how will it all end? No man can predict." 7

But Father De Smet was not idle during this time.
When the war was at its height, he, provided with a pass-
port, three times went through the belligerent lines to
visit the tribes on the Upper Missouri and to revictual
the Oregon Missions. Several times he journeyed to
Washington to claim Government subsidies for the Indian
schools, and to obtain exemption from military service for
the members of religious orders. The war was a great
drain on the national treasury. The sum of $13,800 was
due to the Osage and Potawatomi Missions. Father De
Smet argued to the officials that the subsidies were guar-
anteed by treaties, and a longer delay would antagonize
the Indians, who up to the present had shown themselves
faithful subjects of the Union. Should the missions, for
want of funds, be forced to send the hundreds of children
back to their families, the tribes might make common

6 To Father Terwecoren, St. Louis, Feb. 17, 1862.

* "I am acquainted with families who enjoyed incomes of $20,000 up to
1860, who are now reduced to $2,000 a year." (Letter of Father De Smet
to the Mother General of the Sisters of St. Mary, March i, 1862.)

7 To Charles and Rosalie Van Mossevelde, St, Louis, Sept, 10, 1861.

302 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

cause with the rebels. This argument appeared to have
weight, for ten thousand dollars was paid at once, and
a promise was given that the rest would soon follow.

In the spring of 1863, Congress passed a law calling to
the colors all men old enough to bear arms. Neither secular
nor regular clergy were exempt, and already some had
been enrolled. The Jesuits, while willing to expose their
lives in the interests of their country, did not feel at lib-
erty to go against ecclesiastical orders. "We are ministers
of peace/' writes Father De Smet, "and from all times
the sacred character of the priesthood has been judged
incompatible with war and the shedding of blood. It is
a law of the Church, and one binding on our con-
sciences." 8

An act of Congress permitted the conscripts to buy
release from military duties by the payment of three hun-
dred dollars, but the St. Louis Province was too poor, and
such an expenditure spelled ruin. Father De Smet appealed
to the Secretary of War, who, in recognition of the mis-
sionary's services during the Oregon campaign, allowed
the Jesuits to follow their avocations "until further
orders." It was a tacit exemption, which lasted as long as
the war. In passing through Washington, Father De Smet
had had several interviews with President Lincoln. Be-
tween the emancipator of the slaves and the defender of
the Indians a friendly understanding was easily established.
The President showed himself well disposed toward the
Indians and promised his support.

Everywhere the missionary was well received. States-
men invited him to their tables; one day he dined at the
Belgian Legation with the French, Spanish, and Russian
ambassadors. "All the ambassadors were resplendent
with their orders. I was arrayed in a worn frock-coat
lacking two buttons. Nevertheless, it passed off very
pleasantly and I held my own in this distinguished gather-
ing. But I would have been more at my ease seated on
the ground in the midst of my Indians, listening to their
badinage, while eating with relish a buffalo steak or a fat
roast dog," 9

8 Letter to Thurlow Weed, April II, 1863.

9 Letter to Father Terwecorea, St. Louis, Feb. 17, 1862.

THE WAR OF SECESSION 303

In order to make known the missions and to obtain
funds for them, Father De Smet published in New York,
in 1 863 , two new editions of his " Letters. ' ' The first, entitled
" Western Missions and Missionaries," was a translation of
Cinquante Nouvelle Lettres, which had appeared in 1858. 10
Besides accounts of his journeys and studies of the habits
and customs of the people, it contained several sketches
of the first Jesuits in Missouri. The second volume, " New
Indian Sketches," contained the story of Louise Sighouin,
an account of the pacification of the Cceur d'Alnes, and
the missionary's correspondence with General Harney.
These publications were similar to his " Journeys in the
Rocky Mountains," and "The Oregon Missions," and were
written in the same interesting vein, with the same note
of sincerity, freshness of style, and breathing the same
charity for the Indians and the same zeal to save them. '

"The facts related in these letters," says an American
journal, "form an important chapter in the history of the
Church in our country, and bring out strongly the differ-
ence between the labors of the Catholic and Protestant
missionary. Can the American Board of Foreign Missions
give the public a volume like this one of Father De Smet?
What have their agents done with the enormous sums of
money placed in their hands? Their labors are counted by
the number of Bibles distributed. The letter killeth, but
the spirit quickeneth." 11

Yet there were men who contested the value of these
recitals. Formerly Father De Smet had been reproached
with embellishing facts beyond all recognition; now they
cla'med that the "Letters " were not written by him, that he
had only lent his name to the publication. Who started
the calumny? It was never traced to its source, but it
spread to Europe, and was even believed by the German
Jesuits. It grieved and perturbed the missionary that his
good faith should be doubted, and once more he felt obliged
to clear himself of this false accusation. In the following
humble terms he addressed the German Provincial:

"Personally, I deserve small consideration, but our
Missouri Province feels its honor has been attacked in

10 Published by Casterman, Paris.

11 The Pilot, Dec. 29, 1863.

304 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

supposing it could authorize an imposture. I alone am
responsible for letters written over my name and with the
consent of my Superiors. The accounts of some of our
Fathers have been taken from authentic documents, which
I obtained from different sources, and which were revised
and published by me. In my travels I have drawn my in-
formation from authentic sources, and given it to the pub-
lic for what it was worth, citing always my authority.
While working among the Indians, I have not only in-
structed them, but have questioned and studied them, and
have faithfully recorded the facts, both adverse and favor-
able. Every word has been written ad majorem Dei
gloriam, and in compliance with my Superiors' express
desire. Hence, I declare that the letters published as mine
were written by me, which fact gives me the right to pro-
test to your Reverence against the accusations of those in
your Province who deny their authenticity. If need be,
the entire Missouri Province is ready to attest my declar-
ation."

The missionary's words could not be doubted, nor could
one remain untouched in reading these words: "I am
weak and sensitive; I have suffered many wrongs through
false reports about my publications. Chapter xxxvi
of the third book of the Imitation 1 * comforts me and I
endeavor to put it in practice. Moreover, Thomas a
Kempis tells us that even St. Paul justified himself on
more than one occasion, for fear his silence might be an
occasion of scandal to the weak." 13

Father De Smet not only spent himself in the service of
his fellow-missionaries and in the support of the missions,
but his help and counsel were ever at the service of whoever
asked his aid. The Sisters of Namur were anxious to
establish themselves in America, and in 1861 the Superior
approached Father De Smet upon the subject. Con-
versant with the success obtained by European religious
orders in the United States, he encouraged the project and
promised to further its realization.

12 "Against the vain judgments of man."

13 Letter to Father Roder, St. Louis, Aug. 30, 1867. See upon the same
subject, Prfais Historiques, 1868, p. 58.

THE WAR OF SECESSION 305:

Then came the Civil War. The Bishops dared not
undertake new foundations. Well-known convents lost
three-fourths of their pupils and found themselves in
straitened circumstances. The Sisters must await a more
favorable moment. Yet several dioceses, notably that of
Buffalo, were less affected by existing circumstances.
Bishop Timon was the personal friend of Father De Smet
and he spoke to him about the Namur Sisters. The
Bishop considered the proposition favorably and offered the
Mother General a foundation at Lockport, a town of fifteen
thousand inhabitants. The house in question was extremely
modest, but pupils were assured, and even novices.

Although the Bishop offered the best he had, the Mother-
General was prudent, and, before accepting the offer,
sought Father De Smet's advice. His reply bespeaks the
wisdom and supernatural motives of a priest : "After much
reflection before God, I am of the opinion that you should
accept the offer of Bishop Timon. Generally speaking,
Catholic establishments in America have begun in poverty.
Our first foundation in Missouri began with two log huts<
covered with bark, eighteen feet square, with dirt floors.
The first convent of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart was.
established in a village of six hundred inhabitants. Their
house was so small it hardly met the needs of the com-
munity. To-day they possess flourishing schools in all our
larger cities. . . . The Bishop tells me that Buffalo, with its
hundred thousand souls, has all the convents it can support.
In ten years the town will probably number three hundred
thousand. But before that time, if you come to Lockport,
you will have an establishment in Buffalo and I hope in
other large cities in America and Canada." 14

This letter decided the Mother General to accept the
Bishop's offer, and five months later five of her community
left for America. They succeeded from the outset, and
Bishop Timon asked for a second foundation. To-day the
Sisters of St. Mary number nearly two hundred nuns, and
possess well-known educational institutions in the large
cities of the United States, 15

14 St. Louis, March 19, 1863.

15 See "La Vie de la Re>e>ende Mere Marie Claire dc Je*sus," by the
Sisters of St. Mary de Namur, 1895, Chap. xiii.

306 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The war, which for four years had laid the country deso-
late, was drawing to a close. Several Confederate army
corps had surrendered, as well as Richmond, the Con-
federate capital. The North was victorious, and the
slaves were set free.

"We must thank God," wrote Montalembert, "that a
great nation is risen up again, and is purified of a hideous
leprosy which served as a pretext and reason to all friends
of liberty to denounce and defame her. She now justifies
all the hopes we built upon her, we have need of her and
she is given back to us, repentant, triumphant, and saved." 16

Father De Smet thanked God for the abolition of
slavery, "that festering sore, " l7 and he also rejoiced over the
progress Catholicism was making. From 1863 the Mis-
souri Vice-Province took rank with the other Provinces of
the Society.

Although neutral in the question that divided the North
and South, the Jesuits, the Sisters of Charity, and the
Christian Brothers labored indiscriminately in behalf of
the victims of the war. They opened hospitals in several
cities, where their devotion and zeal obtained consoling
results. Sinners were reconciled with God and many
converts were made. "The Church of these Fathers,"
they said, "must be the Church of Jesus Christ."

The Jesuit Fathers serving as chaplains in the army won,
by their courageous charity, the hearts and esteem of both
soldiers and officers. "What are our Protestant chaplains
good for?" asked General Butler. "They do well enough
in peace, but are useless in war. They administer no
Sacraments, and the humblest soldier is invested with as
much spiritual power as they. Catholic priests alone
can be of spiritual help to soldiers on the battlefield." 18

Between battles, the chaplains instructed, baptized, and
prepared the soldiers for their first communion. The Arch-
bishop of New York himself came on one occasion to con-
firm four hundred men. Still more extraordinary, the
Jesuit Fathers managed to preach three-day retreats,
which were attended by both officers and men. In some

18 La victoire du Nord aux Atats- Unis, in the Correspondent, May, 1865, p. 7,

17 Letter to Paul De Smet, St. Louis, July 7, 1861.

18 See The Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, 1865, p. 469.

THE WAR OF SECESSION 307

regiments fifty communions were distributed every morn-
ing.

Towns and cities were as much aflame with religious
zeal as the military camps. The extraordinary prosperity
enjoyed by the United States previous to the outbreak of
the war had resulted in a falling off of religious practices.
Money and pleasure were the sole objects of life with many.
But the horrors of war, the dark future, and the sudden loss
of fortunes, gave other preoccupations to the frivolous.
The Jesuits seized this moment to hold missions through-
out the country. In St. Louis, Boston, Cincinnati,
Louisville, New York, and Washington, the spiritual
results of these missions exceeded all hopes. Fathers
Weninger, Smarius, Damen, Maguire, and OJReiUy
preached to enormous and mixed congregations. Father
Smarius alone distributed fifty thousand communions in
less than three months, and received into the Church
two hundred and fifty Protestants. Many who, formerly,
would not hear the word Catholic, now evinced great eager-
ness to be instructed. 19

In Missouri, however, a sectarian movement hampered
the action of the clergy. The legislature required priests
to swear, before they were given the right to teach or
preach, that during the war they had evinced no sympathy
with the South. The refusal to take the oath meant a
fine of five hundred dollars or six months in prison.

"Should this law be enforced/ 1 writes Father De Smet,
"our churches will be closed and our schools ruined.
Furthermore, since the State does not confer on us the
right to preach and teach, to take such an oath would be to
compromise the independence of the Church." 20

But Catholicism had sunk deep roots in American soil,
which her enemies could neither destroy nor weaken. The
very day the ruling was to become a law the University
opened its doors with six hundred pupils. The friends of
liberty carried the acts of the legislature to the Supreme
Court of the United States and in January, 1867, the oath
was declared unconstitutional

19 In regard to the Catholic apostolate in the United States during the
war, see Les &ude$, Dec., 1862, and Oct., 1863.

20 Letter to Gustave Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, Sept. 23, 1865.

308 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Some months later Father De Smet wrote jubilantly::
"The Church, it is true, has many battles to fight; sec-
tarians of every shade make war on her, but notwithstand-
ing the propaganda, the speeches and writings of her
enemies, our cause steadily gains a foothold. Churches,
seminaries, colleges, academies, schools, religious houses,
orphanages, and hospitals rise as by enchantment on
American soil. Thousands of Protestant parents confide
the education of their children to Jesuits, priests, Christian
Brothers, and the Sisters, and the greater number of these
children become Catholics, and later on apostles in their
families. The Catholic population of St. Louis numbers
one hundred thousand souls. It is the Rome of America. ' ' 21

One sees that even if his mission work frequently with-
drew him to remote scenes, Father De Smet was con-
versant with the strides Catholicism was making. His.
correspondence shows he was equally attentive to what
was taking place in Belgium, Italy, and Mexico. With
passionate interest he followed in every country the eternal
struggle between good and evil. To him the issue never
was doubtful. He would willingly have assented to these
words of Montalembert : "It is always difficult to do good,
but good prevails, and since the coming of Our Lord Jesus
Christ into the world, virtue has slowly but incontestably
progressed. History and reason prove this truth more
and more every day to those who sincerely study the
question. The present is better than the past, and the
future will be better than the present." 22

21 Letter to Emile de Meren, Oct., 1867.

22 Letter to Swiss students, Aug. 25, 1869,

CHAPTER XX

A TOUR OF THE MISSIONS (1862-1863)

The Needs of the Missions Father De Smet Sends Yearly Assistance to
the Oregon Missions The Journey in 1862 St. Peter's Mission
The Journey in 1863 "This Is the Black Robe Who Saved My Sister"
Triumphal Journey through Oregon The Fervor of the Cceur
d'Alenes Sad Forebodings Return Journey by California, Panama,
and New York The Lost Returns Father De Smet's Illness
His Friends are Dying One by One "I Have an Inner Conviction
that My End is Approaching. Fiat wluntas Dei! " Restoration to
Health.

OINCE 1849 Father De Smet had occupied in Missouri
*J the posts of Procurator and of assistant to the
Provincial. The first-mentioned office he exercised until
his death, but as his many and long journeys were incom-
patible with the duties of Provincial, he was relieved of
that position in 1862. From that time, every spring, he
traveled up the Missouri to visit the missions or to pacify
the Sioux tribes.

For many years the Oregon establishments had received
no Government subsidies. Father Hoecken wrote from
Oregon to acquaint Father De Smet with his financial
embarrassment, and added: "Not for human gain have
we given our lives to work and to suffer as we do here.
Although all the gold in the world could not pay for our
devotion, neither could any privation induce us to abandoa
our undertaking." 1

Yet, however disinterested were the missionaries, a less
precarious situation would have facilitated their labors and
assured their success. Father De Smet relieved their
poverty with yearly consignments of foodstuffs, clothing,
seeds, and farm implements; and with what joy was this
largess received! "Upon the arrival of such a shipment,"
1 St. Ignatius' Mission, April 15, 1857.

3 io THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

writes Father Hoecken, "we wept tears of joy and thanks-
giving. I did not close my eyes that night, and was unable
to calm my emotions. The next day I reproached myself
for my weakness, but you know what a missionary's life
is among the Indians, with its anguish and privations, and
you will excuse my sensibility." 2

With his shipments, Father De Smet included books and
a budget of news of all that was taking place in St. Louis.
On one occasion his photograph accompanied the provi-
sions. The Indians learned of this, and rushed at once to
salute their benefactor. But his likeness was not enough;
they clamored that he should come in person. He in turn
was no less anxious to see once more his children of the
wilderness, and in 1861 the visit was arranged. The
death, however, of Father Druyts, the Provincial, delayed
his departure until the following spring. Instead of going
to them, he sent by steamboat fifty plows, a mill, tools, and
household utensils and took pleasure in the thought of the
joy these articles would give the missionaries. Then the
news came that both boats and all the cargo had been
destroyed by fire. Another consignment was immediately
packed, and this time he took it himself. He planned to
visit also the numerous tribes on the Upper Missouri who
were asking for Black Robes.

In May, 1862, the missionary left St. Louis on a steam-
boat bound for Fort Benton. The captain, Charles Chou-
teau, one of the first pupils of the University, offered his
former professor yearly free transportation for himself and
the supplies destined for the missions. As they ascended
the Missouri, they came upon numerous bands of Indians
camping on its banks. When the boat landed for the
distribution of the yearly pensions and presents of the
Government, the Indians gathered around the Black Robe,
offering him the calumet, and listening attentively to his
words. Mothers brought their children to be blessed and
offered to the Great Spirit, and he had the joy of baptizing
over seven hundred souls a great triumph, if one remem-
bers that three-fourths of the children of these tribes died
before attaining the age of reason.

An old squaw, crippled in arms and legs, dragged herself

2 Letter quoted.

A TOUR OF THE MISSIONS 311

to the missionary's lodge, and, stretching out her withered
arms, cried: "Father, have pity on me! I also wish to be
a child of the Great Spirit. Pour water on my brow and
pronounce the sacred words. The whites call me Marie,
the name of the good and great Mother in heaven to
whom I wish to go after death." Touched by such faith,
Father De Smet instructed and baptized her and left her
in transports of joy.

When he left St. Louis it was Father De Smet's intention
to spend several months evangelizing the Sioux, but war
had just broken out between this tribe and the Americans. 3
A chief suspected of being friendly to the whites had been
killed by his braves. As neither guide nor interpreter
could be found, he was obliged to renounce the project for
the present. He reached Fort Benton, three thousand
miles above St. Louis, where he was received by two Italian
Jesuits, Fathers Giorda and Imoda, who had replaced
Father Hoecken, lately recalled to the States after spend-
ing seventeen years in Oregon. 4 The flourishing St. Peter's
Mission, founded a year before on the left bank of the
Missouri in the neighborhood of the Sun River, counted
over seven hundred Christians.

What joy for the missionary to see a tribe, formerly
numbered among the most cruel of the mountain Indians,
worshiping Christ! The fatigue endured and dangers en-
countered during the terrible winter of 1846 to succor the
Blackfeet rendered this tribe dear to the missionary's
heart. He celebrated in their midst a Mass of thanks-
giving; many Christian Indians approached the holy
table, and hundreds of voices chanted the Magnificat.

But if the future was full of promise, the missionaries
were at the time in need of the bare necessities of life.
Father De Smet came to their aid, and with the funds
collected in Europe purchased for them large supplies of

8 See the following chapter.

4 Father Adrian Hoecken, seventeen years younger than his brother
Christian, was born at Tilbourg in Brabant, Holland, March 18, 1815.
In 1839 he entered the novitiate at Florissant; left for the mountains in
1844, and until 1861 labored with great success among the Flatheads.
Returning east, he occupied different posts, being first appointed to the
Osages, then to Cincinnati, and finally to St. Charles. He died in Mil-
waukee, April 19, 1897. (Cf. The Woodstock Letters, Nov., 1897, p. 364.)

3 i2 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

-food, clothing, and coverings. To encourage the Indians
in their efforts at agriculture and trade, he left them two
carts, several plows, and every sort of utensil.

On his return to St. Louis, Father De Smet made new
-purchases, and in the spring of 1863 went up the river,
taking with him two lay Brothers and a cargo valued at
three thousand dollars, destined for the missions. For
several days they traveled through country infested with
bands of secessionists, and in several places they passed
dead bodies lying on the river-bank. Safety required that
.all travelers should be armed, and a heavy cannon was
.stationed in the prow of the boat. "As for myself," says
the missionary, "I make use only of spiritual arms. I
offer the Holy Sacrifice daily in my cabin, and the Brothers
as well as myself are filled with confidence in protection
from on high. When God is with us who can be against
us?" 5 Even in such moments he quietly composed verses
upon the sorrows of the times.

When he reached the Indian country he visited several
bands of Crows, Assiniboins, Grosventres, Mandans, and
Aricaras, administered more than five hundred baptisms,
and arranged for the founding of a new mission near the
mouth of the Yellowstone.

The heat of summer had already dried up the streams,
and the river was too low to permit a steamboat to navigate
further. The captain unloaded his cargo near the Milk
River, three hundred miles from Fort Benton. The ninety
-passengers were forced to camp in a forest until wagons
from the Fort came to fetch them and their baggage.
War was still being waged between the Sioux and the
whites; several steamboats had been attacked, and the
loss of life was considerable. One day a band of six
hundred warriors surprised the camp. Every man seized
a gun and prepared to resist. Father De Smet wished
to avoid bloodshed, so he went out to meet the enemy and
was recognized at once by the Sioux. The son of Red
Fish, the great chief of the Ogallalas, grasped his hand
and exclaimed: "Here is the Black Robe who saved my
.sister!"

6 To G. Van Kerckhove, on board the Nellie Rogers, May 15, 1863.

A TOUR OF THE MISSIONS 313

These words recalled one of the most touching episodes
In the life of the missionary. 6 The warriors surrounded the
Black Robe, and showed him every mark of respect. After
he had talked some time with the Sioux, he distributed
coffee, sugar, and sweet crackers. They then departed to
return no more.

After a month's weary waiting a long line of carts was
seen approaching, also a carriage in which the three mis-
sionaries were to make the journey of three hundred miles
through country laid waste by drought. At last, on the
feast of the Assumption, Father De Smet and his com-
panions reached Fort Benton, and from there journeyed to
St. Peter's Mission.

In a year's time the number of Christians had doubled.
Fathers Giorda and Imoda worked for the evangelization
of the Blackfeet, and at the same time ministered also to
the Catholic emigrants living in the neighborhood. These
priests heartily welcomed the two Brothers who had come
to share their labors. As in the preceding year, Father
De Smet's intention was to push on to the Sioux tribes,
but the revolt of the Indians rendered this more and more
impossible. From every direction came news of massa-
cres, and even the steamboats on the river were in danger.
Mr. Chouteau had lost a number of his crew in going down
the river, so Father De Smet decided to visit the Western
missions, one after the other, and to return by way of
California, Panama, and New York.

The Black Robe's arrival in Oregon was signaled from
one tribe to another by lighting great bonfires on the
mountains. His journey was a two months' triumphal
march, accompanied by every conceivable demonstra-
tion of gratitude: for was it not to him that the Indians
owed the grace of baptism and the pacification of the
country?

He had just left the mountains when he witnessed an
affecting scene. A camp of Kalispels and Flatheads were
returning from a buffalo-hunt. Suddenly a silvery bell
was heard. The chief was ringing the Angdus. The
whole band knelt down and devoutly recited the Ave Maria.
Moved to tears, Father De Smet fell on his knees and

6 See Chap, xii, p. 210.
21

3 i 4 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

united his prayers with those of his children. The next
day he celebrated Mass upon a humble altar decorated
with willow branches. The Indians chanted the litany of
the Blessed Virgin and many made their first communion.
The day passed in pious conversation. He baptized the
children, and after distributing rosaries, medals, and
scapulars, he departed for St. Ignatius' Mission.

Here Father Grassi, an Italian, had replaced Father
Hoecken, He had collected the material for a hospital
and a boarding-school, but Sisters were needed to carry
these on. Father De Smet appealed to the Sisters of
Providence of Montreal, and they responded promptly
and eagerly. Before the year was out they were installed
and ready to receive pupils and care for the sick.

St. Mary's Mission, the first mountain foundation, had
been closed in 1850. The Flatheads had made several
appeals for a Black Robe, but the Fathers could not then
be spared. Three years later the cherished "reduction"
was opened by Fathers Giorda and Ravalli, and again the
fervor of former days revived in that fertile valley.

At Colville, Father Joset had succeeded in establishing
the St. Paul Mission. From there the missionary visited
the neighboring Columbian tribes. "Although the abuse
of whiskey has demoralized the Indians, through God's
mercy a large number of the faithful have escaped cor-
ruption, and show the same desire to hear the word of life
and approach the Sacraments/ 1 7

But of all the tribes, the Coeur d'Alnes was the most
satisfactory. Nothing had interrupted the peace con-
cluded in 1859 with the Americans, and Fathers Gazzoli
and Caruana, successors to Father Joset, marveled to see
a people, formerly the most ferocious of the Western tribes,
become the models of the new center of Christianity.
Absolute confidence in the missionaries, great purity of
morals, a spirit of penitence worthy of the cloister, and
tender devotion to the Mother of God, such were the
virtues of the new converts. 8

7 Cited by Father De Smet, Selected Letters, 3d Series, p. 173.

^ 8 "The Coeur d' Atenes fast nearly every Saturday in honor of the Blessed

Virgin, a fast more rigorous than ours, for it is not broken till sunset. To

prepare themselves to celebrate worthily the feast, some wear belts of thorns,

others flay themselves with briers, and others again retire to the forest in

A TOUR OF THE MISSIONS 315

Both the Sacred Heart and St. Ignatius' Missions pos-
sessed churches that were the admiration of all new-
comers. In the neighborhood of the principal stations
many chapels were built, the greater number, however,
being devoid of everything required by the rubrics of the
Church. Father De Smet arrived one day from St.
Louis with vestments and sacred vessels. As he opened
his treasures the missionaries compared him to good
St. Nicholas. He even gave Father Grassi his little
traveling chapel. "His joy," he says, "made me forget
the privation this gift imposed upon me."

This was Father De Smet's last visit to the Oregon Mis-
sions. Although the condition of the missions was most
satisfactory, he could not put away a presentiment of
coming disaster. Every day the invasion of the white man
penetrated further; cargoes of whiskey arrived in many
places, and the Indians fell victims to the fury and im-
morality of the pioneer Americans. 9 It seemed certain
that the lands cultivated by the missionaries would be
seized by the invaders and the Christians exterminated or
driven into the arid mountain defiles. The most tolerant
of the Government agents says in his report, "The red
man must disappear before the approach of the white
man. The question is, how can this be accomplished with
the least suffering to the Indians and the minimum of
expense to ourselves." 10 The missionary was destined
to suffer untold sorrow in this sad perspective. The work
of his life seemed doomed to destruction; whatever became
of the Indians, they remained ever "the children of his
heart." His heroic devotion to them to the very end
proved what price he attached to their souls.

order to observe complete silence. There they pray and work, only re-
turning to camp for the prayers said in common. Everything is referred
to the missionaries, who are obliged to restrain, rather than excite their
zeal. A chief of a neighboring tribe witnessed the charity that animates
these Christians and wished to remain, saying, 'This mission is a paradise.' "
(Letter from Father Grassi, Catholic Missions, 1870, p. 251.)

a "One must see this to believe it," writes Father De Smet. "Were it
not for the desire to save souls, we would flee the camp." (Letter from
Father Vercruysse to Father Broeckaert, St. Ignatius' Mission, June 12,
1862.)

10 Captain Mullan's report, Cf. Father De Smet, Selected Letters, 3d
Series, p. 169.

3 i6 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

With the approach of autumn, Father De Smet turned
his steps homeward. After visiting Bishop Blanchet, the
first apostle in that country, and the Sisters of Notre
Dame, established in several cities in Oregon and California,
he embarked at San Francisco on November ad.

For many long months the Jesuits in St. Louis had been
without news of the missionary. They had heard only
of his enforced landing at Milk River, but not of his
arrival at Fort Benton. Could he with his companions
have fallen under the hatchets of the Sioux? "What
increases our anxiety/' writes Father Arnould from Bel-
gium, "is that the provisions he had with him might have
excited the cupidity of the Indians. Moreover, the
crucifix by which the Indians recognized him, which he
always wore on his breast, had by mistake been left in
St. Louis. " u

When winter came and he did not return, all hope was
abandoned and the suffrages were said for the repose of his
soul. 12 One can imagine the astonishment of the com-
munity when, on December lyth, he suddenly appeared
at the University. In eight months he had traveled
11,400 miles without suffering injury from the bands of
secessionists or from the Indians in revolt against the
whites.

Such a journey had entailed excessive fatigue, and the
traveler returned to St. Louis broken in health, tortured
with neuralgia, and crippled with rheumatism. Three
months later he writes: "It is only on rare occasions that
I am able to leave my room or the house. My greatest
privation is my inability to say Mass. Since my ordination
in 1827 this is the first time that illness has deprived me of
this happiness/' 13

In the solitude of his cell he looked back upon the past,

and thought of the friends who were gone. How many

new-made graves ! After only seven years of the episcopate

' Bishop Van de Velde of Natchez was gone to his reward;

11 Letter to Father Van der Hofstadt, Sept. i, 1863. Father De Smet's
crucifix is to-day the property of his nephew, Paul De Smet.

12 Suffrages in the Society of Jesus are the prayers and Masses offered
by each member for the deceased members.

13 To Gustave Van Kerckhove, March 15, 1864.

A TOUR OF THE MISSIONS 317

Father Smedts, a fellow-companion of 1821 and for years
Master of Novices at Florissant; Father Bax, the apostle
of the Osages, fallen a victim of his charity at thirty-three
years of age; Father Duerinck, engulfed in the waters of
the Missouri, while en route to St. Louis to make his last
vows; u Father De Vos, a Belgian friend, and the heroic
Father Nobili, both dying just after founding the Cali-
fornia Mission. One after the other these valiant souls
seemed to pass before the missionary, calling him to eternal
repose. " Insensibly/' he writes, ''life seems to ebb away.
I am now in my sixty-fourth year, and I have an inward
conviction that my end is near. Fiat wluntas Dei" 15

To his ardent nature, death was preferable to inactivity:
"After enjoying robust health for so many years, and
after so many years of travel, I find the change hard to
bear. But we are in God's hands. With patience, which
I pray for, and aided by His grace, I hope to be able to
resign myself to His will." 16

After prayer, family letters were his greatest consolation.
"I hope," he writes his brother, "that your letters and
those of your children will come regularly to cheer me. I
have need of consolation, and this you will not refuse me
after the many marks of kindness that you have shown me
for forty-four years. Our correspondence must continue
to the very end." 17

However, his health seemed to slowly return, and the old
missionary took up active life again. "Though my legs
are unsteady, my heart is still strong." 18 To while away
the weary hours, he wrote long accounts of his journeys
to the Father General and to his Belgian friends. As soon
as he was able to get about, he began to prepare a three-
thousand-dollar shipment for Oregon. But God called
him to another scene of action. The Sioux, the tribe
which he had dreamed of evangelizing for twenty years,
and which had declared an implacable war against the
whites, were to henceforth absorb his untiring efforts and
bring him his greatest triumphs.

w Father Duerinck, born at St. Gillcs-lez-Termondc, was Father De Smet's
cousin. He was learned in the natural sciences, and refused a chair in the
University of Cincinnati. 15 To his brother, Feb. 26, 1864.

18 To his brother, March 10, 1864. 17 March 10, 1864.

18 "When the legs creak, the heart is good." (Flemish proverb.)

CHAPTER XXI

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX FATHER DE SMET's JOURNEY

OF PACIFICATION (1864)

Initial Troubles between the Whites and the Indians War against the
Redskins Discovery of Gold Mines Long Known to Father De Smet
The Reservations One Hundred Thousand Indians Disappear within
Ten Years The Uprising of the Sioux Tribes The Minnesota Mas-
sacre Generals Sibley and Sully Are Sent to Subdue the Rebels
Father De Smet's Journey He Goes up the Missouri as Far as Fort
Berthold The Grosventres, Aricaras, and Mandans Conference with
the Sioux They Accept Terms of Peace General Stilly f s Mistake
Father De Smet Returns to St. Louis.

'T'HE difficulties between the whites and the Indians
A dated back to the seventeenth century, when the
English landed in America. Had all the colonists been as
humane in their treatment of the Indians as Lord Balti-
more and William Penn, friendly relations could easily
have been maintained. More often, alas! the white man's
injustice and cruelty made it evident to the Indian that
he coveted his land, but desired no alliance with him. 1

At the close of the eighteenth century the colonies
threw off England's yoke, but continued to carry on a
relentless war against the "red man/' The white man's
policy of exploiting the Indian's lands gradually drove
him westward, and, finally, almost exterminated the
original possessors of the soil.

1 "When you first set foot on our lands," said an Iroquois sachem to some
officials of New York, "you were destitute of food. We gave you our beans
and wheat, and fed you with our fish: to-day you repay us by cutting our
throats. The merchants your ships landed on our shores we loved as the
apple of our eyes, and gave them our daughters as wives. Among the
Indians you have massacred are children of your own blood." (Bancroft's
"History of the United States," Vol. II, p. 564.)

"From that time the destruction of the Indians seems to have been such
a fixed policy, that in some parts of the country, notably in Virginia, the
law forbade making peace with them." (7W&, Vol. I, p. 204.)

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX 319

The trappers and fur-trading companies 2 in their yearly
journeys up the Missouri hunted the buffalo so relentlessly
that it finally became extinct. The prairies became a
desert, and the Indians' means of subsistence were de-
stroyed. 3

But killing their game was not enough: the Americans
seized their lands. Behind the pioneers, the advance-
guard, pressed the emigrant hordes, that not only populated
the Atlantic coast, but, crossing the Alleghanies, overran
the Mississippi valley, everywhere building cities, laying out
farms, and starting manufactories. Before them, the
Indians must either retire or perish.

In 1830 began a legal spoliation, when the Government
drove the redskins across the Missouri. In 1854 a new
seizure of land took place. A ridiculous treaty made
between the tribes and the Government divided into three
parts all the land situated west of the Missouri and ex-
tending to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The two best
tracts were taken by the Government, and formed the
territories of Kansas and Nebraska; the land to the
south remained in the possession of the Indians. In one
year alone fifty thousand whites rushed to the new land
grants, and terrible disorders disgraced the beginnings of
the colonization.

We remember the emigrant invasion of California. In
1862 the discovery of gold in Idaho produced the same
horrors and disorders in the Kootenais country, which
the missionaries had evangelized. 4 One man had known
for twenty years of the gold buried in the mountains, and
that man was Father De Smet. 5 He could have become

2 The principal ones were the Hudson Bay Company of Montreal, the
American Pur Company, and the Rocky Mountain Pur Company, both of
St. Louis.

3 As early as 1846 Father De Smet predicted the day when the last buf-
falo would be contended for by the last survivors of these unhappy tribes.
("The Oregon Missions," p. 253.)

4 "The treasures hidden in the heart of the mountains attract thousands
of miners from every country. With them come blackguards, gamblers,
drunkards, thieves, and assassins, the scum of society. Lately thirteen
of these malefactors have been hung, and seventy-two others are condemned
to the same end." (Letter to Charles De Smet, St. Louis, Feb. 27, 1864.)

5 '* In 1840 1 scaled a high mountain several days' journey from Sacramento.
The bed of the torrent that descended the mountainside seemed to me
covered with golden sand, and so thickly packed that I could scarcely believe

320 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

famous, and enriched his Society; but he preferred to
delay the discovery of gold, fearing it would mean ruin
to the missions. He locked the momentous secret in his
breast 6 and also swore the Indians to secrecy, predicting
to them that if they revealed it they would be dispos-
sessed of their lands.

The manner in which the Indians were defrauded of their
lands is well known. The whites often obtained entire
counties for a song. The Osages ceded twenty-nine million
acres for an annual payment of a thousand dollars, a sum
which would barely suffice to pay for the drinks used when
the transaction was made.

In exchange for what they lost, the natives more often
received lessons in lying and immorality. In speaking
of the Kickapoos, an English traveler says: "They are
completely demoralized by living near civilization. The
men are given over to drunkenness, the women to impurity,
and both sexes of all ages are royal beggars, whose principal
vocation is horse-stealing." 7

These facts explain the language used by the famous
Chief Black Hawk in addressing the American agents :

"Like serpents, the whites have crept into our midst and
taken possession of our homes; the opossum and deer have
fled at their approach. We are dying of hunger and want.
Contact with them has poisoned us." 8

my eyes. I passed on without further examination. To-day I am convinced
it was the precious metal." (Letter to Charles De Smet, St. Louis, April
26, 1849.) On another occasion, Father De Smet learned from a reliable
Indian, that on one summit in the Black Hills the interstices of the rocks
were filled with golden sand. (Chittenden-Richardson, p. 1522.)

6 "You ask me to tell you about the gold lands, and to send you a map of
the district if I am at liberty to do so. You must understand, dear friend,
why I have kept silence up to the present. These reasons still exist, and I
cannot in conscience deviate from my former line of conduct." (To V. H.
Campbell, Sacramento River, Feb. 4, 1863.) However, when Father De
Smet saw that the white invasion was an accomplished fact, he consented
to speak. (See his letter to Major-General Pleasonton, Aug. 22, 1865,
Chittenden-Richardson, p. 1521-1523.) Afterward, the name De Smet
was given to one of the richest mines in the Black Hills.

7 Burton. Cited by Marshall in " Christian Missions, " Vol. II, p. 441.

8 Cited by Father De Smet, Selected Letters, ist Series, p. 286.

"The Americans in general were not a party to this injustice. The
Secretary of the Interior, McClellan, in his report for 1856 says: 'Our
conduct with regard to the destruction of a people which Providence has
placed under our protection, is unworthy of our civilization, and outrages

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX 321

It is true that the Government from time to time sent
commissioners to the West to pacify the country. These-
men, however, were less zealous in repressing the excesses
of the whites, than in sanctioning, by treaties, the usur-

every feeling of humanity.' " (Quoted by Father De Smet, Selected Letters,,
2d Series, p. 347.)

"Our nation must bear a heavier guilt than others. Its conduct with
regard to the Indian is shameful. Every imaginable crime has been com-
mitted against them: unrelenting persecution, broken treaties, and con-
fiscation of lands." (Rev. H. W. Beecher, in the New York Evening Express,
Jan. 5, 1861.)

See also Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century of Dishonor," p. 167; the pro-
test of Bishop H. B. WHpple, Protestant Bishop of Minnesota; and, especial-
ly, the report of the commission appointed by President Grant to investi-
gate the condition of the Indian tribes, p. 339.

Notwithstanding, many men of high intelligence furthered the destruction
of the Indian race. "The red race has disappeared from the shores of the
Atlantic; the tribes which resisted civilization have been destroyed. For
my part, I cannot deplore what seems the result of a divine law. Nor
can I regret that the wigwam has been replaced by the Capitol, the savages
by Christians, the red squaw given way to the white woman, nor that such
men as Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson have supplanted Powhatan,
Opechanecanough, and other redskins, respectable, high-class Indians
though they may have been. A people that finds itself in the white man's
path has no other alternative than to become civilized or exterminated."
(Quoted by G. Kurth, " Sitting Bull, 1 ' Brussels, 1879, p. 7.)

"To civilize the Indians was the duty of the Americans, for in no other
way could they justify the usurpation of their territory. If the tribes'
living almost exclusively upon the chase occupied a vast territory not
commensurate with the number of inhabitants, if their right to hold lands
whose richness they could not exploit could be contested: then the whites
who seized these lands in order to develop them, were bound in justice-
to recompense the Indians, to instruct them, and to initiate them into
agriculture and trade. It does not seem that the Yankees gave much
thought to ameliorating the condition of those they dispossessed. They
declared at the outset that the Indians resisted civilization, and coined the
odious phrase, 'the only good Indian is a dead Indian. 1 Unquestionably,
the Indians were idle, unreliable, vindictive, and cruel, and more given to
imitating the white man's vices than his industry. Nevertheless, they
were not inferior to the Hurons of Canada, nor the Guaranis of South
America, and if the former became industrious fanners and the latter made
the golden age of Christianity blossom again on the shores of the Parana*,
what could not a great nation have accomplished under conditions in-
finitely more favorable than those in which the ancient civilizers found
themselves? "

The results obtained by the missionaries in Kansas and Oregon show what
the tribes in the United States were capable of. Only time was needed.
"Imagine," writes Father De Smet, "two races brought into contact, the
one keeping its barbarous habits, the other enjoying all the advantages of
civilization. How many years must elapse before there is complete fusion
between the two? Neither the second nor the third generation will witness.
that happy result." (To Madam Parmentier, St. Louis, Feb* 24, 1858.)-'

322 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

pations committed against the natives. Tracts of land
called "reservations" were given exclusively to the Indians.
An agent was stationed among them to keep peace, to punish
the whites who injured the Indians, and to inform the
Government at Washington of any untoward happenings.
More often than not, the agent betrayed the confidence
of the chief. His position being political, was obtained
through favor, and held only so long as his party was in
power. He also retained a large part of the indemnities
paid the Indians. 9

When the scandal became too open, and protests were
made, the Government was forced to take action and
the agent was asked to resign. But he departed with a
well-filled purse and the assurance that he would not be
prosecuted.

The Indians on the reservations were destined not to
enjoy for very long their restricted domains, for valuable
mines discovered on what was thought to be waste land
attracted hordes of fortune-seekers to the country. The
Indians resisted the invaders and exchanged shots. Then
the Federal troops intervened, new treaties were imposed
on the tribe, and again they were forced to retire to a new
reservation, often far distant, and destined in turn to be-
some the ground of similar disputes. 10

He concludes it would be a fatal mistake to at once force learning and agri-
culture upon the Indian; lie must first be made to recognize their benefits.
"But Americans do not know how to wait. The Indian cannot civilize
himself. They have used him to further their own ends, and when he
has rebelled, they have massacred him. 'The tyranny of the United
States/ says an eminent economist, 'has rendered the Indian more lawless
and less civilized than he was in his primitive condition. The physical
and moral condition of these peoples has steadily declined, and they have
become more savage as they have become more wretched."* (De Toctjue-
ville, "De la D&nocratie en Am&ique," Paris, 1840, Vol. II, p. 366.)

9 In his vicinity, the Indians were often reduced to misery and poverty.
"List shoes with paper soles and tin spades were distributed to thorn;
they were fed on soups made of diseased animals. Squaws picked half-
digested grain out of the cavalry horses' manure, and gave it to their children
to keep them from dying of hunger." (Bishop Whipple of Minnesota, quoted
by G. Kurth, "Sitting Bull," p. 152.)

10 "The Creeks were forced twelve times to change their place of abode,
and the whole tribe was finally wiped out by General Jackson, afterward
President of the United States." (Marshall, "Christian Missions," Vol. II,
p. 440.)

"In 1862 the Winnebagoes, heretofore on friendly terms with the whites,
were driven from their reservation in Minnesota to the banks of the Mis*

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX 323

"A tree too often transplanted perishes," says an Indian
proverb. If to the steady invasion of a territory are added
the methods of destruction above indicated, it can be
understood how in ten years, from 1850 to 1860, the num-
ber of Indians in the United t States fell from 400,000 to
300,000 a loss exceeding any heretofore recorded.

Father Do Smet was an eye-witness of the events which
transpired during these sad years, and writes in 1862:
*' Heaven will mete out justice to a country that permits
such atrocities." n Then alluding to the grave crisis through
which the country was passing, he adds: "The civil
war is in my opinion a punishment, and alas, little is being
done to propitiate heaven." 12

Another war was about to bring America into conflict
with the victims of its spoliation. The Sioux, numbering
between thirty and forty thousand, resolved to guard
their independence, so retired farther and farther into the
wilds, and there lived by hunting. Their different tribes
occupied a vast quadrilateral, bounded on the north by
Canada, on the west by the Rocky Mountains, and on the
east by the Sioux and Red rivers. The Missouri with
its tributaries flowed through this desolate region.

Repelled by the aspect of the Bad Lands, the colonists
sought a more fertile soil in the Par West. The Govern-
ment had agreed to erect a certain number of forts along
the river-front to protect the fur trade, and to assure its
relations with the Indians. 13

souri, to a barren desert devoid of game., and unfit for habitation. Many
died of hunger. In vain the Indians tried to flee, hiding in bushes on the
islands, but soldiers stationed along the river- front barred the way and
forcibly eompelled them to return to their desolate reservation." (Selected
letters, 3d Series, p. 195. Helen Hunt Jaekson, "A Century of Dishonor/'
pp. 3#)~3&6, 393-395*)

u To UIH brother Francis, St. Loufo, April 1 6, 1862.

"To the Mother Superior of the vSisters of St. Mary, March I, 1862.

"The smallest incident sufficed to provoke bloody conflicts. "The
Indians, to the number of two thousand, had repaired to the appointed spot
at the time fixed by the Government agent to receive their annuities and
presents. They waited several days for the Commissioner to arrive, and^in
the meantime they ran out of provisions. Then u Mormon wagon- train,
on its way to the Territory of Utah, eame peaceably by the Indian camp.
One of the party was dragging after him a lame cow hardly able to walk.
A famished aavagt% out of pity for his wife and children, and perhaps, also.

324 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The conference held at Fort Laramie in 1851 had
guaranteed to the Sioux tribes the undisturbed possession
of their territory, on the condition that the highways
should be left open and that forts should be built there.
The United States agreed to pay the Indians an annuity
of $50,000 for fifty years; but the Senate, without con-
sulting the Indians, changed the provisions of the treaty
and limited the payments to fifteen years. 14

The rapidly increasing white colonies in the West began
to invade the virgin solitudes of the central districts.
Agricultural land was seized, and other tracts were overrun
by gold-seekers. Towns sprang up, roads were made, and

from compassion for the suffering animal, killed the cow and offered the
Mormon double value for it in a horse or a mule.

" Such an act with such an offer under such circumstances passes as very
honest, very fair, and very polite in a wild country. Still the Mormon
refused the proffered exchange and went and filed a complaint with the
commandant of Fort Laramie, which is in the neighborhood. Like the
wolf who leaped upon the lamb to devour it, crying: 'I know very well that
you all hate me, and you shall pay for the rest/ the illustrious commandant
straightway sent out a young officer with twenty soldiers armed to the
teeth and with a cannon loaded with grapeshot. He was absolutely de-
termined to capture the so-called robber, and make an example of him,
The savages were astonished at the menacing turn that the affair of the
cow, so frivolously begun, had taken; they begged the officer to take one,
two, three horses in exchange a hundred times the value of the cow, if
necessary. They wished, at any price, to 'bury* the affair, as they express
it; that is to arrange it peaceably and quietly, but without giving up to
him their brother, innocent according to their code. The officer was in-
flexible, refused all offers; he must absolutely have his prisoner; and when
the latter did not appear, he fired his cannon into the midst of the savages.
The head chief, whom I knew well, the noblest heart of his nation, fell
mortally wounded, and a number of braves beside him. At this unex-
pected massacre the Indians sprang to arms and, letting fly hundreds of
arrows from all sides, they instantly annihilated the aggressor;; and provo-
cators. Will you in Europe believe this tale of a cow? And yet such is the
origin of a fresh war of extermination upon the Indians which is to be carried
out in the course of the present year." (Chittenden-Richardson, pp. 1218,
1219.)

The American reprisals outrivaled the Indian methods, for during the
following summer an army of about four thousand men, commanded by
General Harney, penetrated into the desert. Upon the River Platte they
came upon the Indians, who, knowing themselves inferior in numbers, askod
for peace. While the chiefs were in conference with the General, the whites
surrounded the Indians, cut off their retreat, and gave the signal to mas-
sacre. Eighty Sioux, among them women and children, were killed* An
officer announcing the victory wrote: "It was the most splendid sight I
ever beheld. ' ' (Quoted by Father De Smet in a letter to Father Terwecoren,
Oct. 5, 1855.)
14 Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century of Dishonor," p, 75,

THE REVOLT OF THE SIOUX 325

the Pacific Railway spanned the continent. The region
of the Upper Missouri became part of the Republic, and
formed the Territories of Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

With rage in their hearts, the Sioux watched the steady
advance of the colonists and from day to day their com-
plaints became more bitter: " Neither the buffalo nor
antelope can subsist upon land trodden by the white man.
We must not wait until the pale-face has exterminated the
game that feeds our families; let us defend the desert:
it is our property and our life!"

When hostilities broke out between the North and
South, the Indians judged the moment propitious for
repelling the invasion. England supported their cause,
and sent them arms through the half-breed Canadians
living on the border. 15 War-hatchets were unearthed,
the tomahawk brandished, and the eagle feathers were
brought forth. 10 The Sioux thirsted for the white man's
blood; upon the Minnesota border in three days 17 they
slew nearly a thousand victims and destroyed property
valued at two million dollars.

Forthwith the United States sent an army against them,
commanded by General Sibley, which engaged in several
skirmishes, dispelled the enemy, and made many prisoners.
Thirty-eight Sioux were condemned to the gallows. A
priest visited them in prison, and all but five asked for
baptism. A few were sufficiently instructed to make their
first communion on Christmas day. As he saw them calm,
almost joyful in the presence of death, the missionary was
unable to restrain his emotions: "It is thus," he said,
"that Christians of a day meet death/' 18

Learning of the fate of the prisoners, Father Do vSmot
wrote to Washington to ask to have them kept as hostages,
for he hoped in this way to save the lives of the whites
who were still in the power of the Sioux, 10 His petition
was refused, and before long came news of fresh atrocities,

t5 CfuttumUttt-Ru 'hare 1st m f p. Bo*

w The, number of cn^Ui feathers a savage wore on his head indicated the
number of enemies he h&d slain,

17 Prom the, itfth to the aoth of August, 1862. (Soe Helen Hunt Jnekson,
44 A Century of Dishonor/' p f6 % v)

Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, Vol. XXXV, p. 239, ft svq*
letter iti cited by Chit tonden- Richardson, p. 1510*

326 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

The Indians succeeded in blocking navigation on the
Missouri. When they saw a boat approaching, they hid
in the woods or behind rocks, and showered arrows and
bullets upon the crew. 20

It was necessary to send a second army against the Sioux
under General Sully, who marched up the valley of the
Missouri to join forces with General Sibley. Both armies
had several engagements with the enemy, but the Indians
at each attack offered but slight resistance and then retired.
They appeared to have submitted; in reality they had
only dispersed.

The most scientific strategy failed against six thousand
warriors who were determined not to give battle until they
had the advantage in numbers and position. Their wives
and children were safe far from the scene of hostilities;
they had no towns, forts, or arsenals to defend; no line
of retreat to cover, and they were not encumbered with
either baggage or beasts of burden. Mounted on fiery
horses, they unceasingly harassed the enemy's troops and
always escaped pursuit. Although in sight, they were
never overtaken.

The campaign of 1862-1863 had cost the United States
more than twenty million dollars, and yet the end was not
in sight. It added a heavy weight to the strain of the Civil
War, It was proposed that Father De Smet be appealed
to as a mediator. Five years before he had accomplished
the pacification of Oregon, and it was believed that he
alone could induce the Missouri tribes to lay down their
arms.

On his return from the mountain missions Father De
Smet passed through Washington. The Secretary of the
Interior and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs took
advantage of his presence to request him to go to the
Sioux, and in the name of the United States make pro-
posals for peace. He was to act in concert with the
commander-in-chief of the troops and the various Gov-
ernment agents. Moreover, the expense of the journey
and a large financial compensation were offered him by
the Government.

20 During Father De Smet's last journey to the mountains he had ex-
perienced one of their attacks.

JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 327

The proposition was in no way to Father De Smet's
liking. "I fear to lose forever my prestige with the
Indians," he writes. " Should I present myself to them
as the representative of the ' Chief of the Big Knives 7 at
Washington,- 1 no longer their 'Great Father,' but now
their mortal enemy, it would place me in rather an awkward
situation. I have written to the Commissioner to say
that if I undertake the mission, I will go on my own hook
and without any remuneration. I will first visit the Sioux
who have remained friends of the whites, and then, in their
company, will try to reach their brothers in revolt. I
will do my utmost to induce them to make peace and bring
about an understanding between them and the General
in command and the Government agents/' ^

The Government recognized the wisdom of Father De
Smet's plan, accepted his terms, and the missionary began
his preparations to depart. His Superior feared he was
sending him to certain death, vseeing him set out alone and
unarmed to encounter the enraged tribes, drunk with
carnage. But Father De Smet r although alive to the
dangers of the enterprise, tranquilly wrote: "One thing
reassures me: I go under obedience."- 3

Father De Smet took passage on a steamboat leaving for
the Upper Missouri on April 20, 1864. The captain,
Mr. Charles Chouteau, offered his former teacher the
cabin do luxe, in which an altar had been prepared where
he might daily celebrate Mass. The water was low and
sand-bars numerous, so that after eight days they had
advanced only a few miles. To pass the time, Father DC
Smet continued his study of the Missouri, "his river," he
called it. **I observe the country, jog my memory, and
consult well-informed travelers. Then I write/* 24 He
wrote to acquaint his friends in Europe with the varied
and grand scenery of the river and the topography, fauna,
and flora of this unexplored country, 26 In reading these
pages one is reminded of the account written two centuries

* l The Initiate' ruimc for the President of thc k United States, who was then
Abraham Lincoln,

U'ttor it* Ptitlwr Murphy, St. Loui, March 30, 1864.
w LtftU*r to Pattutr Ttrwwrn St. Louis, April *C>, 1864-

, 3d &*ru% p,
pp.

328 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

before by another Jesuit, Father Marquette, when he first
visited the Mississippi valley. 26

Our missionary took advantage of these enforced stops
to explore the surrounding forests and prairies, where he
encountered many Indians he had baptized and who
remembered him. They now begged him to marry them
and baptize their children. Sometimes he came across
.a Canadian Catholic, whose instruction had been most
superficial, to judge from the following: "I tried to give
some much-needed advice to one of these men, and urged
him always to be ready for God's call, saying it might come
like a thief in the night, when least expected. What an
-irreparable misfortune it would be to appear unprepared
before his Judge! Evidently my Canadian friend had
understood nothing of my little sermon, as he was thinking
only of encounters with the Sioux.

" 'Father,' he replied, 'it is as you say; they come upon
us unawares, riddling our bodies with bullets and with
.arrows. As for me, I am not at all prepared, for I am poor,
and without means of defence. But now I shall have a
better chance, for I have sold my wood to the boat and I
can buy powder and lead. Let the devilish Sioux come:
they will find me ready for them.' " 27

The Sioux, as a matter of fact, continued to terrorize
the country. On May loth the news came that three
thousand were armed and lying in wait to stop every
steamboat they surprised on the river, and that they
possessed two cannons, many guns, and an abundance of
powder and bullets. "In a few days," writes Father De
Smet, "we shall be able to judge of the truth of this in-
formation. I placed myself in God's hands, and under the
-protection of the holy Virgin, our good Mother. I came
here under obedience, to carry words of peace. Of a truth
the time is critical ; but if God is with us, who can be against
us?" 28

Nor was his confidence betrayed. The steamboat ad-
vanced unimpeded, save for the sand-bars which several

26 J. G. Shea, "Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi Valley."
New York, 1852; pp. 231-257. Alfred Hamy, "Au Mississippi. La
Premiere exploration" (1673), Paris, 1903; pp. 222-255,

27 Selected Letters, 3d Series, p. 200. "JWrf., p. 198.

JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 329

times obliged them to stop near the forts, in order to land
a portion of the cargo. At last, on June pth, they reached
Fort Berthold, near the mouth of the Little Missouri.
Not far away there were living together in a single village,
the Grosventres, the Aricaras, and the Mandans. These
three nations had not entered into the revolt against the
whites, so Father DC Smct decided to remain with them,
and await an opportunity of getting into relations with the
Sioux. On landing he sent a messenger to the chiefs,
announcing the object of his visit, and inviting them to a
conference, and while awaiting their arrival he preached
the word of God to the friendly tribes. A providential
event contributed largely to enhance the value of the
religion he taught.

The preceding year a long drought had destroyed the
crops- Not discouraged, the Indians had put under
cultivation a thousand acres of land with no implements
save hoCvS, broken spades, crooked sticks, and the shoulder-
blades of buffaloes. But again this year, a dry spring
threatened ruin to the crop. The distressed Indians had
recourse to Father Do Sniot. '"Black Robe/ they said,
'you who have such power, can you not also make a little
rain come? 1 I answered them that I had not that power,
that the Great Spirit alone is omnipotent. *Let us im-
plore Him together and offer him our hearts* I will say
the greatest of prayers [the Mass]!' The next day the
clouds gathered and rain fell for twenty-four hours. A
few days later, after renewed prayers, a heavier shower
followed, the fields became green, the grain formed in the
oars, and everything portended a rich harvest* These
favors from on high made a deep impression on the
Indians.'* They followed assiduously the missionary's in-
structions. Mothers brought their children by hundreds
to be baptized; the chiefs themselves undertook to erad-
icate vice and do away with superstition.

In the meantime the news of the great Black Robe's
arrival had reached the Sioux, and on July 8th they
encamped about three hundred strong on the opposite
side of the Missouri. Their presence terrified the whites
who were defending the fort. But Father De Srnet went
out alone to meet them, crossed the river in a boat, and

330 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ,

was received with lively demonstrations of friendship.
The warriors declared they had come for the express
purpose of an interview with him. The conference lasted
three hours. The chief seemed inclined to make peace
and received favorably the proposals of the United States.

Two days later came a message from the Santees, a
powerful tribe living on the Canadian border. This tribe
had been the prime movers in the Minnesota massacre.
They now wished strongly to see the Black Robe and learn
from him the Government's communications. Father De
Smet wished to go to them at once in the hope of inducing
them to disarm, but he could not act without consulting
General Sully, who, unfortunately, was burning to measure
his strength with the Indians. He declared that this
tribe should be punished before there could be question
of peace. Such an attitude rendered Father De Smet's
mission impossible, and rather than compromise his rdle
of peacemaker with the Indians, he decided to return to
St. Louis and communicate with the Government. Did
Washington recognize Sully 's mistake? The General was
to learn that the words of a Jesuit were more powerful than
armed force. A few months later he asked the Black
Robe to intervene.

Although Father De Smet's official mission had failed,
spiritually he had achieved a great success. Eight hun-
dred baptisms, many marriage ceremonies, the Gospel
preached to three or four nations, and a prospect of found-
ing "reductions" upon the Upper Missouri such were the
fruits of his four months' journey.

CHAPTER XXII

SEVENTH JOURNEY TO EUROPE LAST JOURNEY TO THE

MOUNTAINS (1865-1866)

A Bad' Crossing Father DC Smet Assists in Rome at the Beatification
of Blessed Peter Canisius Charles Rogicr Manifests His Regard for
Father De Smet He is Made a Knight of the Order of Leopold Pare-
well to Belgium Father De Smet Declines a Third Time the Honor
of the Episcopate He Goes Up the Missouri as Far as Fort Benton
He Confers Baptism on Hundreds of Children The Yanktons
Pananniapapi,

PJATHER DE SMET had foreseen that he would soon
A have to return to the Sioux, and was preparing to do
so, when an order came from the Provincial in October,
1864, to leave for Europe. Men were needed for both the
colleges and missions; moreover, the Civil War had
exhausted their resources, and another appeal must be
made to Belgium.

The missionary was happy at the thought of again seeing
his family. To them he writes, "This good news, I hope,
will be as agreeable to you as it is to me. Often in my
poor prayers, and when far off in the desert, I have asked
this favor of heaven," *

His crossing was stormy, and from that time dates the
malady which was to become fatal. 2 For weeks he suf-
fered from insomnia, constant fever, and frequent hemor-
rhages. His suffering condition did not, however, prevent
him from starting for Rome as soon as he landed. The
Father General received him with cordiality and invited
him to attend the beatification of Blessed Peter Canisius
during November,

He tells us he suffered intensely from seasickness during
the journey from Marseilles to Civita Vecchia. "You

1 To his brother Francis, St. Louis, Oct. 9, 1864,
* Bright'* disease.

33 2 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

may not believe it, but the rolling and pitching of the ship
acted as a remedy. Headache, blood-spitting, lack of
appetite, etc., disappeared upon my arrival in Rome.
The next day the fever was so slight that I was able to be
present at the beatification of our illustrious saint. I shall
never forget that ceremony, and I thank God for permitting
me to witness it. The Holy Father declared in our presence
that this beatification was the most glorious and the
nearest to his heart of all those that had taken place during
his pontificate.

"I have spoken to you about my fever, and now I will
tell you how I got rid of it. I climbed to the dome of
St. Peter's. The remedy, though most fatiguing, was
salutary, and since then my pulse has not been so rapid. " 3
The invalid possessed, undoubtedly, a robust constitution,
but the preceding lines seem to have been written with the
object of reassuring his friends.

Before leaving Rome he visited the celebrated basilicas
and the places consecrated by the blood of the martyrs,
and on the feast of St. Cecilia he descended into the
catacombs. Several times he was received in audience
by the Pope, who showed great affection for him and be-
stowed many favors on his missions. During his stay in
Belgium he gave only a few days to his family, and set out
in the depth of winter upon his arduous begging tour.
Several times he was forced by illness to interrupt his
travels nevertheless he canvassed Holland, Luxemburg,
England, Ireland, and his native country. The sight of
this old missionary who had come from such a distance
to ask for help, created a profound impression. Con-
tributions flowed in, and many young men answered the
call to the apostolate.

Such self-sacrificing devotion commanded the respect of
even unbelievers. Charles Rogier, one of the ministers
of Leopold I, and anything but clerical in his feelings and
opinions, expressed great esteem for Father De Smet, He
invited the missionary to his table and lent a willing ear
to his discourses upon religion; he marveled that a man
could travel such distances and suffer such fatigue and
privation for what he called the salvation of souls, "If
8 To his nephew Charles, Rome, Nov., 1864.

SEVENTH JOURNEY TO EUROPE 333

you should hear some day that I was on my death-bed
and that I had asked for you, would you cross the ocean
for that?" "I would not hesitate an instant/' replied the
Jesuit; upon which Rogier threw himself upon the mis-
sionary's neck and embraced him before the assembled
guests. Several years later when the statesman felt his
end approaching, he called for a Jesuit 4 and was reconciled
with God. He, moreover, honored himself in making
Father De Smet a Knight of the Order of Leopold, 5 a dis-
tinction which the missionary received with his usual
modesty. At his family's insistence he consented to have
his portrait painted, wearing the distinguished decoration,
and after that nothing more was heard of it. To the last
he wore v no other cross save that of the missionary, the
cross that had redeemed the world, and to which he owed
his best achievements.

The time for departure was drawing near. His labors
had borne abundant fruit. Besides great financial assist-
ance and other gifts, 6 he had gained twelve new mission-
aries for America, of whom five were Belgians, four
Dutch, and three Irish. Four Sisters of Notre Dame de
Namur also accompanied him to the New World. Before
sailing he wrote the following lines: "Here I am once again
leaving my country, my family, friends, benefactors, and
brothers in religion. A fond farewell to all, perhaps for-
ever, until the last meeting in heaven. This separation
and why should I not admit it ? is for me a painful sacrifice ;
but I hope to continue to work for God's glory and the
salvation of souls. It is a supernatural love that draws
me from Belgium and all that I love there. When I am
not with my dear Indians, I feel as if something was lacking,
and, despite the kind reception that I receive everywhere,
there is a void within me, until I get back to my beloved
Rocky Mountains. Only then am I satisfied and happy.
Hc requies mea. I have spent the best part of my life
among the Indians and to them I wish to consecrate my
few remaining years; in their midst I wish to die." 7

* Father Delcourt.

* The royal order was dated June 18, 1865.

Those gifts ho owed to the generosity of the Dames de TOEuvre des
Egliscs pauvres of Brussels.
7 To the editor of Prteis Historigues, Ostend, Juno a, 1865,

334 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

Upon his return to America the missionary's name was
again mentioned for episcopal honors. The Catholics were
becoming so numerous in the West that the Archbishop
of St. Louis asked the Sovereign Pontiff to create an
apostolic vicariate in Montana, and, desiring that the
incumbent be a Jesuit, proposed Father De Smet. The
latter immediately wrote a letter to the Father General,
which reveals his profound humility: "If, as the Reverend
Father Provincial assures me, my name figures among those
sent by Archbishop Kenrick, it is only, I imagine, to
complete the list, which usually comprises three names.
In the sincere belief that I possess neither the virtues nor
ability that such an office demands, and not doubting that
your Paternity will be consulted in regard to an affair of
such importance, I am not uneasy. My sole desire is to
live and die faithful to my vocation and to the obedience
I owe my Superiors, and from this determination, thanks
be to God, nothing can move me." 8

Providence granted his wish, and Father De Smet was
spared the burden he had feared would be imposed upon
him. His mind now at ease, his great preoccupation was
the distribution of the money and goods he had brought
back from Europe.

On April 9, 1866, he left St. Louis to go by boat to
Fort Benton, the post nearest to the mountain missions.
This meant a journey of more than three thousand miles,
through a country at war with the whites. But with his
usual confidence and faith, he placed himself under the
protection of the Blessed Virgin, and asked that a lamp
should be kept burning day and night before her picture
until he returned.

The spring thaw had brought about a sudden rise in the
river: enormous blocks of ice crushed steamboats, trees
were uprooted, and houses carried away. To breast the
current, the captain had recourse to a windlass, but the
cable broke and the boat swept along in the eddies until
she crashed against a rock. She began to leak badly,
but the deck-hands repaired the damage and the boat
continued on her way.

As they were about to enter the Sioux country a cannon

8 St. Louis, March, 1866-

SEVENTH JOURNEY TO EUROPE 335

was placed In the prow of the boat, pistols and guns were
made ready, and every night sentinels stood guard a
needless precaution, as the enemy gave no sign of life.
"Our arms," writes Father De Smet, "have been used
only to kill game, which is served on our already abundant
table." 9

It was evident that Providence was caring for the
travelers. "We have passed thirteen boats that started
from ten to fifteen days ahead of us. We have been carried
as on the wings of angels." 10 And yet our missionary's
life was not wholly satisfactory. Far from his brothers in
religion, and with little in common with the mercantile
interests of the boat's passengers, he felt lonely, and often
repeated the words of the Psalmist, "How good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." u

He used his leisure to reread St. Francis Xavier's letters,
his model in the apostolate. "This book fills my heart
with consolation: two passages especially have touched
me: 'Among other intercessions, I have recourse to the
children I have baptized and whom God, in His infinite
mercy, called to Himself before they had stained their
baptismal robe. They number over a thousand, and I
invoke them to obtain for me the grace to accomplish
God's will in the way He wills it, upon this earth of exile
and misery.' 'You can imagine what my life must be
here, not understanding what is said to me, and unable
to make myself understood. Yet I baptize new-born chil-
dren, for which ceremony I need no interpreter, nor do I
need one in my ministrations to the poor, who can make
me understand their sufferings and misery,'" 12

It is not surprising that Father De Smet should share
the sentiments of this illustrious apostle, for his own life
was a continual service of charity and devotion. Even
upon the boat he found an opportunity to bring souls to
God. He baptized a Protestant, and prepared several
passengers to make their entrance into the Church. The
Catholics attended Mass and received communion every
Sunday,

* Selected Letters, 3d Series, p. 356. * 7W&, p* 354*
" Psalms cxxxii, x.

* Selected Letters, 3d Series, p. 400.

336 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

But the Indians were ever his special care. Now more
than ever were they deserving of pity. In many places
the whites had left them but barren lands, where even
wild beasts could not exist. The annuities were not paid
regularly, and the agents sometimes retained a part of
them, or substituted barrels of whiskey or useless goods in
place of the money. The winter was long and severe,
and many families died of hunger; others, after they had
killed their horses and dogs, lived on wild roots, and were
happy when they could pick up the refuse from the soldiers'
kitchen at Fort Sully, or rats that had been thrown over
the stockade. 13

Father De Smet relieved this misery as much as lay in
his power. He spoke to them of the Great Spirit, of the
future life and of the joys reserved for those who have
shunned lies and injustice. He baptized nearly five hun-
dred children, the greater number of whom he was per-
suaded would die before attaining the age of reason.
"The regeneration of these poor little ones is for me a
subject for rejoicing. I have a deep conviction that
baptism has opened heaven to numberless souls whom I
have had the happiness of meeting in my long sojourns
among the Indian tribes. " 14

At last on June 7th, after a two months' journey, he
arrived at Fort Benton, where, alas! he did not find his
fellow-missionaries of St. Peter's Mission: the war between
the whites and the Blackfeet had forced the Fathers to re-
tire, for a time at least, to St. Ignatius 1 Mission. The
church ornaments and sacred vessels which he had brought
for the missions, he left for safe keeping with the officers
at the Fort, and then returned to St. Louis.

This was Father De Smet's last journey up the Missouri
to the Rocky Mountains. He was destined never again
to see the Oregon tribes, nor the heroic missionaries who
shared his first labors. His work there was firmly es-
tablished; henceforth he would be able to labor for the
other tribes.

In descending the river, he stopped several days with the

of Dishonor ''' p * I66 '

SEVENTH JOURNEY TO EUROPE 337

Yanktons, who were encamped near the mouth of the
James River. Chief Pananniapapi, "the man that Strikes,
the Ree," was one of the noblest types of men of his race.
He had met Father De Smet for the first time in 1844 an d
had attended his instructions, receiving from him the
miraculous medal. From that time he had added the
practice of admirable virtues to his invincible courage, and
he professed toward the Blessed Virgin a touching piety.
During the cholera epidemic he exposed his miraculous
medal in the camp, and, following his example, the Yank-
tons, three thousand in number, assembled to venerate it.
The same day the plague disappeared.

Time and again the Methodists who endeavored to*
penetrate to the tribe were kept at a distance by the chief,
who said to them: "You wish to enrich your wives and
children at our expense. The Black Robe has neither
wife nor child; his heart is not divided; he lives only for
God and the happiness of the people who surround his
cabin. " And the old man remained obdurate.

For twenty-two years he had looked forward to the day
when he should receive baptism. The hour of grace had
now struck. Father De Smet completed his instruction
and received him into the Church. Once a Christian,
Pananniapapi 's only thought was to procure the same
happiness for his people.

Thus the great missionary, in the twilight of his years,
realized his life's dream, the evangelization of the Mis-
souri tribes. A rich harvest was promised; not a single
Indian refused to hear the word of God, not a wigwam
remained closed. The Grosventres, Aricaras, and Man-
dans asked repeatedly for a Black Robe. The Yanktons
offered to contribute two or three thousand dollars yearly
to the support of the missions.

General Sully himself now asked for a missionary, 15
as he foresaw that the Sioux could only be conquered
through the Gospel.

, ChittendcMQ-Richardson, p* 1279.

CHAPTER XXIII

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION (1867)

Age of InfirmitiesThe Whites Continue to Harass the Indians The
Massacre of Six Hundred Cheyennes The Insurrection Spreads
Father De Smet is Sent upon a New Mission A Journey through
Iowa "Major De Smet" Generals Sully and Parker Join the Mis-
sionary Conference with the Indians on the Borders of the Missouri
Iron'" Shield's Discourse Father De Smet Pacifies the Tribes-
Father De Smet Wishes to Meet the Tribes of the Interior Fatigue
Compels Him to Return to St. Louis.

"CATHER DE SMET returned to St. Louis at the
* beginning of August. A torrid summer had followed
a rigorous winter; the thermometer stood at 100 in the
shade, and cholera was raging. The sudden change from
pure, high mountain air to the stagnant air of a pest-
ridden city seriously affected his health. For several
months he suffered from overpowering fatigue, excruciating
rheumatic pains, and, even worse, deafness threatened him.

Autumn, however, brought him some measure of relief.
With his customary cheerfulness, he writes to one of his
nephews: "My health, thank God, is fairly good now, I
seldom consult a doctor or take medicine. For three
months two little bottles, delicate attentions from the
druggist, have been standing on my chimneypiece. Until
now I have only looked at them, but I have taken the pre-
caution to see that they do not evaporate, for they may
be useful some day. I will soon enter upon my sixty-
seventh year, an age when man's garments cover a multi-
tude of infirmities. Yet I shall end by believing that I
carry my years lightly, for every one tells me so, and people
laugh when I say my end is drawing near/' *

In the meantime the war against the tribes in revolt was
still going on, and while Father De Smet, at the price of

1 To Paul De Smet, Nov. 26, 1866.

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 339

unspeakable fatigue, labored to bring about peace, the
Americans seemed to take pleasure in thwarting his efforts.
Soldiers and colonists alike unceasingly exasperated the
Indians. 2

In November, 1864, an act of revolting barbarism had
taken place in Colorado. Six hundred Cheyennes, after re-
fusing to join the warring tribes, sought refuge near Fort
Lyon and begged protection of the whites. Soon, however,
Colonel Chivington, a former Methodist minister, arrived
at the head of a thousand men to give chase to the Indians,
and, despite their friendly assurances, the Cheyennes were
massacred. Not content with taking life, they subjected
their victims to unspeakable outrages. One lieutenant
killed three women and five children with his own hands,
and took savage pleasure in scalping them. 3

When the news reached Washington, Congress demanded
an investigation. Numerous reports were submitted, then
the affair was pigepnholed. Justice was not meted out
to the offenders; on the contrary, certain men were heard
to applaud this odious butchery. General Carleton, chief
of a brigade in New Mexico, a cynical and cruel man,
endeavored, throtigh absurd theories, to justify his conduct

a The tribes in the neighborhood of Port Berthold, as we know, remained
friendly to the whites. The Government, wishing to protect them against
hostile bands, sent them troops; these were under no restraint and gave
themselves -up to brutality and libertinage. "During the whole winter,"
writes Father De Smet, "the Indians have been the sport of the captain,
whose sole object seemed to be to torture them. When women with their
starving children approached the Fort, to gather disgusting refuse from the
soldiers' kitchen, they were chased away by having boiling water thrown
on their ragged, emaciated bodies," (To Charles De Coster, St. Louis,
Sept., 1867.)

"Preceded by the announcement to their agents that the military were
able to chastise any tribes who should molest people crossing the plains,
and that the Indians would be required to keep off the main lines of travel,
a, large expedition under General Hancock marched into their country*
Some of the results of that expedition, as far as this office has been advised,
were the destruction of a large village of Cheyennes and Sioux, the burning of
its effects, and the dispersing of its terrified occupants. The agents in
charge of the Arapahoes, Cheyennes, Apaches, Comanches, and Kiowas
insist that it cannot be shown that hostile demonstrations were made
by any of them as tribes or bands, or by any considerable number of them,
but that they should be regarded as peaceable, excepting the few uncon-
trollable and vicious, such as may be found in all communities." (Annual
Report on Indian Affairs by the Acting Commissioner, Nov. 15, 1867.)

* For details of this massacre, see Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century of
Dishonor," p. 343, et seq.

340 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

and that of his colleagues. "God Almighty,' 5 said he r
"brought this about, when He decreed that at a stated time
one race should replace another. It is like a great circle
traced visibly by Him; His reasons are too profound for
us to be able to comprehend them. The mammoth and
the mastodon have come and gone; the red man of Amer-
ica is passing and disappearing.*' 4

But the Indians were not resigned to this idea of dis-
appearing. Expelled from their own lands, tracked like
beasts of prey, they felt justified in resorting to any meas-
ures against their oppressors. Several districts, notably
Colorado, were ravished by pillage, massacre, and fire. 6

The Indians in revolt numbered several thousand. Every-
day new tribes joined the coalition, and now that the
Cheyennes and the Blackfeet had combined with the
Sioux, it was imperative to check the progress of the in-
surrection. Again the Government appealed to Father
De Smet. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs wrote him:
"Your relations with the Indians and your marvelous in-
fluence over them are well-known facts. It is certain that

4 Report to the Joint Congressional Committee on Indian Affairs, Jan.,
1867. The following is the method by which the virtuous General assisted
Providence in making the red man disappear: "You will make war on the
Mescalaros and all the other Indians whom you find in the Mescaluros""
country, until further orders. , . . Should the Indians ask to treat with you,
tell them that you have no power to make peace, and that you are there
to kill whoever you find." (To Colonel Carson, Oct. 12, 1862.)

"The troops must pursue the Indians in small groups, marching furtively
in the direction of their haunts, waiting patiently for them. . . . A huntur
in pursuit of a deer resorts to every kind of ruse to kill him at elase range.
The Indian is an animal of keener sight and deeper cunning than the deer/*
(To Colonel Riggs, Aug. 16, 1863.)

These and similar letters are quoted in the Report to the Peace Com-
missioners. Appendix to the Doolittle Report, p. 432, et $eq.

5 The news reached the Indians that a railway train was to pass through
the forests, and their spies reported to them that one of the cars was full of
powder. The redskins assembled, set fire to the trees, and, armed with
scalping-knives, hid at a short distance and awaited their victims. For-
tunately, part of their information was false, for the convoy contained no
explosives. When the engineer beheld the flaming forest he was in a quan-
dary. Should he advance, the locomotive, coaches, and passengers wouUi
be burned, but, on the other hand, should he stop the train, the Indiana
would fall upon the handful of whites and massacre them. Deeming that
the situation called for extreme measures, he put on full steam and ruKhctl
through the forest. The strong current of air generated by the 8f>ecd of
the engine drove the flames back from the train, and the terrible furnace
was traversed without damage to train or passengers.

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 341

your presence in their midst will obtain the best results.
No special instructions will be given you and I leave you
at liberty to take your own measures." 6

Father De Smet accepted the commission on condition
that he was to receive no personal remuneration. "I pre-
fer/' he said, "to be entirely independent in the matter of
money: my sole desire is to be of service to the whites and
above all to the poor Indians." 7

As in 1864, his official mission gained prestige through
the exercise of his apostolate.

Father De Smet left St. Louis April 12, 1867, not, how-
ever, without apprehension as to the result of his tinder-
taking. "Shall I be received by those proud Indians,
whose tomahawks are uplifted against the whites, from
whose lances hundreds of scalps dangle, serving as decora-
tions for the warriors and their steeds? The conviction
that fervent prayers accompany me gives me courage.
Knowing my own nothingness, I place myself unreservedly
in God's hands and under the protection, of our good
Mother, the Immaculate Virgin." 8

To avoid the dangers and delays of high water in the
spring, Father De Smet journeyed overland to Sioux City
by way of Chicago. This was the first time he had crossed
the undulating plains of Iowa. "It looks like a troubled
sea that had suddenly calmed. Day after day the scene
is unchanged. Like waves, hills succeed valleys intermina-
bly; only here and there a clump of trees on the edge of a
stream. In summer it is an ocean of verdure strewn with
flowers; in autumn, fire burns everything, and the land is
as if covered with a veil of mourning; then comes winter
with its mantle of snow. Spring is just now beginning, and
the snow that lay from two to four feet deep is melting and
rapidly disappearing, and only a few glistening white
patches are seen on the hillsides, " 9

At Sioux City the missionary, accompanied by Panan-

* Letter from Colonel Bogy, Washington, Fob* 13, 1867*

7 To his brother Francis, St. Louis, March 29, 1867* While refusing
all remuneration for his services to the Government, Father De Smet ac-
cepted sufficient money to cover the expense of his journey and that of his
interpreter.

*To Father Tcrwecoren, Sioux City, April 30, 1867.

9 Letter quoted.

342 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

niapapi, a small band of Yanktons, and a Sioux interpreter,
went aboard a steamboat. Many soldiers journeying to
different forts were passengers. In his capacity as envoy
extraordinary, Father De Smet had been given the rank
of Major "A title singularly out of place for a Jesuit,
nevertheless it gives me free access to the soldiers, many
of whom are Catholics, and to them I devote much of my
time, not in my capacity of officer, but of priest. It is
like a little floating mission, and my days are spent in
teaching the catechism or hearing confessions/' :o

But the soldiers were not the only ones to benefit by
his zeal. At every landing he visited Indian villages or
Canadian families, instructing them, performing marriage
ceremonies, baptizing in all nine hundred children. On
May 24th, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, a
rustic altar was erected in the open country, and under an
azure sky, surrounded by his neophytes, he celebrated the
Holy Sacrifice. As far as the eye could see, the prairies
were starred with daisies and buttercups and a thousand
other lovely flowers. After describing the scene in a letter,
the old missionary with naive piety invites his young
friends in Europe to "come to the vast plains and gather
exquisite bouquets to adorn the altars of the illustrious
Queen of heaven/ 7 u

But his solicitude for the salvation of souls in no way
interfered with the worldly object of his mission. The
tribes along the river had not yet taken up arms, but a
revolt was imminent. In concert with Pananniapapi, he
endeavored to maintain their good relations with the
whites, although the latter had committed crying injustices
against the Indians. It was evident to these tribes that
they could not long withstand the United States Army*
The missionary argued to them that rather than make
common cause with the hostile bands, it was wiser to
assure themselves of the protection of the Government,
which engaged itself to do what was right and admit all
just claims.

Everywhere Father De Smet heard the same story:
"The Government agents visit us frequently. They are

10 Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. .

Letter to Emile de Merea, St. Louis, Get, 1867*

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 343

amiable and prodigal of words and promises, but why do
such professions come to nothing ?" The Indians would
then enumerate the evils of which they were the victims.
"Notwithstanding, we still hope that our appeals will reach
the ear of the Great Father and touch his heart, and that he
will take pity on us. The Black Robe's words to-day
strengthen our hope." 12

The meeting between Father De Smet and Generals
Sully and Parker, the peace Commissioners appointed to
investigate the grievances of the Indians, took place near
Fort Peter. They decided to travel with him as far as the
mouth of the Yellowstone, as they realized what great ser-
vices Father De Smet could render them. General Sully,
who had formerly refused the Jesuit's mediation, now
deemed himself fortunate to be able to approach the Indians
tinder his protection.

Then began a peace campaign which affirmed in a strik-
ing degree the prestige of the Black Robe. Father De
Smet, the Generals, and the faithful Yanktons stopped at
Forts Sully, Rice, Berthold/and Union, and wherever they
found a group of lodges they sought out in each place the
chief, and asked him to convoke a council. When the
warriors had assembled, and the calumet had been passed
around, the priest would address the gathering, declaring
the object of his mission and making known the advantages
of an agreement with the whites. Then pointing out the
Commissioners, he explained: "Your Great Father de-
sires to know your grievances in order to remedy them."
The Generals in turn invited the chiefs to speak openly,
telling them that their complaints, formulated in council,
would be sent to Washington and submitted to the Presi-
dent.

Ranged in a circle, the warriors listened in silence. Then
arose a chief of gigantic stature, proud of mien, and of
stately tread, his head ornamented with eagle feathers, and
his feet encased in rich moccasins. Placing himself in
front of the Commissioners, with a quick gesture he threw
back the Indian blanket that served as his mantle, and, lift-
ing his hand, called for attention. "When the Great
Father, " said he, " sends honest men to my country I am
" Selected Letters, 4th Scries, p. n.

344 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

glad to speak with them. Among you is one known to me,
a man of God: I and my people love him. You tell me
that the Great Father loves his red-skinned children, that
he wishes to be just to them and make them happy.
Formerly we were happy, because the whites who came to
us to hold council did not deceive the Indians. If the
Great Father really loves us, why has he sent agents into
our country who lie to us? Since the coming of these
men all is changed, prosperity and goodness have dis-
appeared. Even the climate, which before was pleasant,
has become bad.

"We have never troubled your lands, and you come to
ours to sow unhappiness. Why do you do this? You
have built four railroads through our country and driven
away the wild animals. You refuse us powder and bullets,
and why? The game has become so shy that my bow and
arrow are useless. I now need powder and lead.

"Since the white man has come here and deceived us
we cannot live in contact with him. I am ashamed to put
my foot in a white man's lodge or to receive him in mine.
Also, the soldiers have treated us badly. If the Great
Father would recall them and leave us only the traders
whom we need, happiness would return and the climate
would again become good. He must also do away with all
the railroads built on our lands. This is my country;
it does not belong to you, and we have no intention of sur-
rendering it. We do not wish to inhabit the lands you
offer; we wish to live here, and I and my warriors choose
rather to fight and die in defending our rights than leave
our country and die of starvation. Moreover* we swear to
scalp every white man that falls into our hands, if the
Great Father does not withdraw the soldiers and restore
to us our lands. I have spoken. " w

The Indians remained defiant. Father De Smet alone
had any influence over them, and that through private
counsels rather than by haranguing them. He finally suc-
ceeded in calming them, assured them of the sincerity of
the Commissioners, and restored their confidence in the
good intentions of the Government, To defend a cause
in many respects an unjust one, was a difficult task for the

13 This speech was made by Iron Shield, chief of the Miniconjous.

SECOND JOURNEY OF PACIFICATION 345

missionary, but he declared his belief that the Indians'
resistance would finally be their undoing. Moreover, the
Government had formally stated its terms; both Presidents
Lincoln and Johnson had sent the tribes assurances of their
friendship. Was it not to remedy the evils that they were
now investigating their grievances ? Why should they im-
agine that such agreements would remain a dead letter?

The Indians never wavered in their loyalty to Father
De Smet nor did they think he could ever betray their
cause. He was always "the white man whose tongue
does not lie." His sympathies were for them; they knew
him and fully trusted him. "If all would speak and act
as you do, Black Robe, the sun of peace would not be
eclipsed/*

After some weeks of deliberation the tribes living in the
vicinity of Missouri renewed to Generals Sully and Parker
their assurances of a good understanding. Even the
hostile tribes agreed to make peace. Sa-tanka, or Sitting
Bull, great chief of the Kiowas, was known as the most
formidable enemy of the white man, and on his head the
Governor of Colorado had more than once put a price.
Hence, great was the surprise of the Commissioners when
this fierce chief came to ask their friendship.

"We have made war on the whites, but only because
they forced us to take up arms. We thank the Great
Spirit that our troubles are drawing to an end, and that
peace and union are before us. We come to you as friends ;
you have listened to our complaints, and we have given you
our hearts. .Henceforth the grass of the prairie will no
longer be stained with the white man's blood. Your
people shall be our people, and peace shall be our common
heritage.

"I am an old man and shall soon go to join my brothers;
but those who come after me will remember this day.
The memory of it will go with them to their graves; they
will transmit it to their children as a sacred tradition, and
it will be handed down to their grandchildren's children.
Farewell. Perhaps we may never meet again, but do not
forget Sa-tanka, the friend of the whites."

Encouraged by these successes, Father De Smet longed
to penetrate into the interior of the country, which was
23

346 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

occupied by rebellious tribes. Several chiefs had expressed
a desire to see him, and he hoped to induce them to lay
down their arms, but the fatigue of a four months 7 journey
had so exhausted him that he was obliged to return to
St. Louis. He had, however, amply fulfilled his mission;
over fifteen thousand Indians had sworn to keep peace.

"It is my candid opinion, should due regard be paid to
the just complaints of the Indians, should their annuities
be delivered in due and proper time, and implements of
agriculture be supplied to them; should they be dealt
with honestly and kindly by agents and other persons in the
employ of the Government, the bands mentioned will be
kept friendly to the whites, and the warrior bands in the
Upper Missouri plains will soon cease their depredations. 1 ' l4

Such views were too wise, at least in principle, not to be
accepted by the Government, and the Secretary of the
Interior expressed to Father De Smet his great satisfaction.
But the missionary attributed his success to the prayers
of his friends, especially those of the little children.

14 To the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, St. Louis, Sept., 1867.

CHAPTER XXIV

SITTING BULL'S CAMP (1868)

A Commission of Five Generals is Sent by the Government to Subdue
the Indians The Commission Asks Father De Smet to Intervene
Conference with the Indians on the Shores of the Platte Father De
Smet's Offer to Go to the Hostile Bands En Route for the HunJkpapas*
Camp Father De Smet is Received by Sitting Bull The Great
Council Father De Smet's Discourse Black Moon's Reply The
Banner of Peace The Hunkpapas* Deputies Accompany Father
De Smet to Fort Rice The Complete Success of the Conference
Generals Harney, Sanborn, and Terry Express Their Gratitude and
Appreciation to Father De Smet.

GATHER DE SMET returned to St. Louis in the
* month of August and suffered from the intense heat,
as in the preceding year. "More and more I feel the
weight of years. My strength is failing and I am getting
thin. I still hope to spend a year or two with the Indians,
especially those who are at enmity with the whites. A
large number of chiefs have invited me to visit them and
seem disposed to make peace, but the winter is too far
advanced and I am too weak to undertake the journey of
over three thousand miles. I must put it off until next
spring.'' l When spring came he was able to carry out his
intentions, however.

Generals Sully and Parker were of the opinion that an
understanding could be arrived at with the hostile tribes.
On the other hand, the complete submission of the Indians,
if obtained by force of arms, would cost the country five
hundred million dollars. 2 It was deemed wiser to continue
negotiations.

A new commission was empowered to conclude a lasting
peace; it was composed of the most distinguished officers of
the United States Army: Gefcerals Sherman, Harney,

1 To Father Terwecoren, St Louis, Sept, 21, 1867.
* General Sherman's estimate,

34 8 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

Sanborn, Terry, and Sheridan. It is noteworthy that
these men, who had just brought the Civil War to a close,
now asked the aid of a missionary to induce a few thousand
Indians to lay down their arms. 3

Father De Smet gladly placed his services at the dis-
posal of the Commission. 4 He had full confidence in their
integrity and wrote of them: "I do not hesitate to say that
the gentlemen composing the Commission are all animated
with the best of feelings toward the Indian tribes and to
provide for their future welfare. Resistance on the part
of the Indians will finally be overcome and bring great
misery among them/' 5

On March 30, 1868, the missionary left St, Louis in his
sixty-eighth year and in broken health, to embark on the
most perilous undertaking of his life. He joined the
Commission, which traveled by way of Chicago and
Omaha. The first council with the Indians was held on the
borders of the Platte River; the results were satisfactory,
but news was brought that certain tribes, notably the
Hunkpapas and Ogallalas, had refused to treat with the
whites. So long as these tribes, two of the most powerful
in the plains, refused to disarm, peace could not be assured.

It was evident that Father De Smet alone could
triumph over their fierce animosity, so he offered to go in
person to invite them to a conference that would take
place three months later at Fort Rice* Deeming it wiser
to advance ahead of the Commission, he traveled up the
Missouri alone. A Black Robe in the midst of military
uniforms would be unseemly to the Indians and far from
agreeable.

After thirty-three days of difficult navigation he reached

3 This peaceful disposition on the part of the Commissioners denoted a
remarkable change of opinion. In 1866, General Sherman hail written in
his ' ' Indian Views " : " We must pursue the Sioux tin til they art* exterminated,
men, women, and children. No other method will get at the bottom of the
question."

4 "When occasions present themselves at Port Rice, please let the Indians
of the interior know of my coming and let them be well and fully |wrswad<?t!
that nothing is nearer and dearer to my heart than thdr welfare and happi-
ness. I pray daily to the Lord that peace and quiet might to refitoral and
reign again through the land. It would be my greatest consolation nhtmld
I be able to do anything to bring it about 1 * (Utter to Mr. Gaipin, St.
Louis, Feb. 22, 1868.)

6 Letter to Mr. F. P. Gerard, St. Louis, Fob. 25, 1868.

SITTING BULL'S CAMP 349

the fort situated near the mouth of the CannonbaU River,
where hundreds of Indians were gathered to attend "the
great peace council." Learning that he had arrived, they
rushed to the river and gave him a warm ovation; then
they conducted him to the lodge that had been prepared
for him, where the great chiefs were anxiously waiting to
learn the Government's intentions toward them. He as-
sured them of the Government's peaceful attitude, but
declared he could not conclude any negotiations before the
arrival of the Commissioners. The following days he
devoted to instructing the Indians, and six hundred chil-
dren received baptism. He also prepared the soldiers in
the garrison to receive the Sacraments on the day of
Pentecost.

On June ist the missionary announced that he was going
to seek the hostile tribes, in order to induce the chiefs to
attend the conference. The Indians were astounded at
such audacity, and wished to dissuade him. "Black
Robe," they said, "it will cost you your scalp." But the
missionary replied: "Before a picture of the Blessed
Virgin, Mother and Protector of all nations, six lamps are
burning day and night during my absence, and before these
lamps more than a thousand children implore heaven's
protection for me." Then the Indians lifted their hands
to heaven, exclaiming: "How wonderful! How splendid!
We want to accompany you. When will you start?"
"To-morrow at sunrise."

The missionary accepted, however, only an escort of
twenty-four men, and for interpreter chose an old trapper
named Galpin, who had lived for thirty years among the
Sioux.

The moment of his departure was a solemn one. Sur-
rounded by the Indian chiefs and soldiers from the fort,
the Father placed his journey under the protection of the
Great Spirit, and recommended himself to the prayers of
his friends, many of whom never expected to see him
again.

The Indians whom he wished to reconcile with the whites
were nursing their hatred on the far side of the Bad Lands,
an immense, sterile plain, furrowed with deep ttndulatiotis.

THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

Numbering over five thousand, they roamed about with
the uneasiness and restlessness of wild beasts. They
were pagans, and knew of the Catholic religion only through
the prestige attached to the Black Robe.

r 'Taking a westerly course, the missionary's caravan
traveled for days without coming upon any traces of the
white man, and only now and then encountered the re-
mains of some Indian warrior, supported on four poles.
The Indians would then halt, smoke the calumet, and
celebrate in song the bravery of the dead.

"Thou hast preceded us to the land of souls;
To-day at thy tomb we admire thy lofty deeds.
Thy death has been avenged by thy brothers in arms.
Repose in peace, illustrious warrior!"

''As they advanced vegetation became sparse; they had
only stagnant, greenish water to drink, and even game
was becoming scarce. Despite these hardships, Father
De Smet's cheerfulness kept up the courage of his com-
panions.

''One evening one of the men of his escort, who had
formerly been a great enemy to the whites, entered his
tent. "Black Robe," said the Indian, extending his hand,
"ever since our departure I have observed you and am
more than ever convinced you are a great and brave man*
As I have always admired the brave, it rejoices my heart
to see you." He then conversed at length with the mis-
sionary upon the means to bring about peace.

June pth, Father De Smet dispatched four men to seek
the enemy's camp and provisioned each with a quantity of
tobacco. "The gift of tobacco is equivalent to an invita-
tion or signifies the desire for a conference upon an im-
portant affair. If the tobacco is accepted, you can present
yourself; if not, access to the camp is forbidden you/' 7

Six days later a band of Indians appeared upon the
horizon. These were scouts, and were followed by a
deputation of eighteen warriors, who had come to shake
hands with the missionary and smoke the calumet of

6 This and other information is taken from Mr. Galpin's unpublished
diary.

7 Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. 75,

COUNCIL WITH THK HOSTILE sioux ON THE

YELLOWSTUNK RIVER

SITTING BULL'S CAMP 351

peace. "Black Robe," they said, "your tobacco has been
accepted. The chiefs and warriors are eager to know the
object of your visit; but entrance to our camp is accorded
to you alone: no other white man could come out of it
with his scalp/'

The camp was three days* journey away, in the valley
of the Yellowstone near the confluence of the Powder
River. On June ipth they reached the hills that overlook
the river, and from there Father De Smet beheld a de-
tachment of five hundred warriors coming across the plain
to meet him. "I immediately unfurled my standard of
peace, which was a banner with the holy name of Jesus on
one side, and on the other a picture of the Blessed Virgin
surrounded with a halo of stars. Believing it the United
States flag, the Indians halted, and appeared to be holding
a consultation. The four chiefs rode up at full gallop and
hovered about the banner. But as soon as they learned
what it represented, they shook hands with me and signaled
to their warriors to approach. They all drew themselves
up in a single line and we did the same. Then the two
lines approached each other. On both sides rose cries
and shouts of joy. I was moved to tears by the reception
these pagan sons of the desert gave me." 8

Then followed, according to their custom, the exchange of
presents; afterward they started, with the banner at their
head, for the camp only a few miles distant. There
Father De Smet found the Hunkpapas, the Ogallalas, the
Blackfeet, the Miniconjous, and others. The great chief,
Four Horns, shared his authority with Black Moon, No
Neck, and Sitting Bull. The last named was soon to
become famous. 9 His courage, his eloquence, and his
prestige made him the most formidable of the redskins.
Eight years later he was to successfully lead the final
resistance of his expiring people. 10 It was this fierce chief
who received Father De Smet; he had prepared for him a
large lodge in the center of the camp, where a guard of his
faithful warriors stood watch day and night.

8 Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. 78.

8 On the day of his birth a buffalo came and seated itself a few feet from
the tent in which he first saw the light of day. Hence his name.
*G. Kurth, "Sittiftg Bull," Brussels, 1879-

352 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Exhausted by his sixteen days' march, the missionary
asked that he might be allowed to rest, and although sur-
rounded by four thousand Indians, sworn enemies of the
whites, he tranquilly fell asleep in the full assurance of the
good faith of Indian hospitality; until he awakened, his
guard kept- watch over the venerable white man, wrapped
in his Jesuit cloak.

When he opened his eyes the four chiefs were standing
before him, and, in the name of his tribe, Sitting Bull ad-
dressed him:

"Black Robe, I hardly sustain myself beneath the weight
of white men's blood I have shed. The whites provoked the
war; their injustices, their indignities to our families, the
cruel, unheard-of and wholly unprovoked massacre at Fort
Lyon [where Chivington commanded! of six or seven hun-
dred women, children, and old men, shook all the veins
which bind and support me. I rose, tomahawk in hand,
and I have done all the hurt to the whites that I could.
To-day thou art among us, and in thy presence my hands
fall to the ground as if dead. I will listen to thy good
words, and as bad as I have been to the whites just so good
am I ready to become toward them/'

Complying with Father De Smet's request, the chiefs
convoked a great council for the next day, when the Black
Robe would inform them of the Government's proposals,
and the warriors would decide if they should send a depu-
tation to Fort Rice to treat for peace with the Commis-
sioners.

Early on the morning of June 2oth men and women be-
gan preparing the place for the conference; this space
covered nearly a half acre, and was surrounded by a series
of tepees or Indian lodges, composed of twenty-four
buffalo skins each, which were suspended on long pine
poles. The banner of the Holy Virgin rose from the center,
and on one side a seat covered with fine buffalo skins was
prepared for the Black Robe. When all the Indians, at the
appointed hour, had taken their places, ranged in a circle,
Father De Smet was solemnly introduced by the two head
chiefs, Pour Horns and Black Moon. The council was
opened with songs and dances, noisy and joyful, in which
the warriors alone took part. Then Four Horns lighted his

SITTING BULL'S CAMP 353

calumet of peace; he presented it first solemnly to the
Great Spirit, imploring His light and favor, and then to the
four cardinal points, and to the sun and earth, as witnesses
to the action of the council. Then he himself passed the
calumet from mouth to mouth, commencing with Father
De Smet. When the ceremony of the calumet was finished,
the head chief addressed the missionary, saying:

" Speak, Black Robe, my ears are open to hear your
words."

All this was done with the greatest gravity and amid a
profound silence.

Then the Father rose to his feet and raising his hands to
heaven implored guidance from on high. For almost an
hour he laid before them the disinterested motives that
had brought him among them, which could only tend to
their happiness. He spoke especially of the dangers with
which they were surrounded, and of their weakness beside
the great strength of the whites, if the Great Father were
forced to use it against them. The harm done by the war
had been terrible, and the crimes committed on both sides-
atrocious. The Great Father desired that all should be for-
gotten and buried. To-day his hand was ready to aid
them, to give them agricultural implements, domestic
animals, men to teach them field-work, and teachers of both
sexes to instruct their children, and all this was offered
them without the least remuneration or cession of lands on
their part.

"And now," said Father De Smet in conclusion, "in the
name of the Great Spirit, and in the presence of your chiefs
and braves here assembled, I conjure you to bury all re-
sentment and accept the hand that is generously offered to
you. The banner before you is the sacred emblem of peace,
and never before has it been carried such a distance. I
will leave it with your chiefs as a guarantee of my sincerity,
and as a continual reminder of my wishes for the happiness
of the Sioux tribes. "

No one interrupted the orator, and when he was done,
Black Moon arose*

"Black Robe, your words are plain and good, and filled
with truth. I shall lay them up in my memory* Still, our
hearts axe sore. They have received deep wounds. These

354 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

wounds are yet to be healed. A cruel war has desolated
and impoverished our country; the desolating torch of war
was not kindled by us; it was the Sioux east of us and the
Cheyennes south of us who raised the war first, to revenge
themselves for the white man's cruelties and injustice.
We have been forced to take part, for we are victims^ of
their rapacity and wrong doing. To-day, when we ride
over our plains, we find them spotted here and there with
blood; these are not the blood-stains of buffalo and deer
killed 'in the chase, but those of our own comrades or of
white men, sacrificed to vengeance. The buffalo, the elk,
the antelope, the bighorn, and the deer have quitted our
immense plains; we hardly find them any more, except at
intervals, and always less ntunerous. May it not be the
odor of human blood that puts them to flight?

"I will say further against our will, the whites are
cutting up our country with their highways; they build
forts and arm them with thunderers. They kill our
animals, and more than they need. They cut down our
forests without paying us their value. Not content with
ruining us, they maltreat and massacre our people.

"We are opposed to having these big roads, which drive
the buffalo away from our country. The soil is OUTS, and
we are determined not to yield an inch of it. Here our
fathers were born and buried. We desire, like them, to
live here, and to be buried in this same soil. We have
been forced to hate the whites. Let them treat us like
brothers and the war will cease. Let them stay at home;
we will never go to trouble them. To see them come in
and build their cabins revolts us, and we arc determined to
resist or die. Thou, Messenger of Peace, thou host given
us a glimpse of a better future. Very well; so be it; let
us hope. Let us throw a veil over the past, and let it be
forgotten. I have only a word more to say ; in the presence
of all my people, I express to you here my thanks for the
good news that you have announced and for all your good
counsel and advice. We accept your tobacco. Some of
our warriors will go with you to Fort Rice to hear the
words and propositions of the Great Father's commis-
sioners. If their words are acceptable, peace shall be
made. ' ' Then he took his seat.

SITTING BULL'S CAMP 355

All applauded the words of Black Moon. The other
chiefs followed and touched on the same matters and pro-
nounced in favor of peace. Sitting Bull only named three
conditions for the peace: the whites should abandon their
forts; no more land should be ceded to them; lastly, they
must respect the trees, especially the oaks', which the
Indians almost worshiped. ' * They have resisted the storms
of winter and the heat of stammer," he said, "and like our-
selves, they seem to draw from them new vigor."

A standard-bearer was chosen for the sacred banner.
The honor fell to a warrior covered with scars and dis-
tinguished for his exploits. "I expressed the wish," writes
Father De Smet, "that this banner on which were em-
broidered the name of Jesus and the image of the Blessed
Virgin might be for all a pledge of happiness and safety.
For a last time I recommended the tribe to the protection
of Mary, auxiliwn et refugium Indianorum, as she was
anciently in Paraguay, in Canada, everywhere and for-
evermore." 11

The council lasted four hours. It ended with a song that
roused the echoes of the hills, and a dance that made the
ground tremble. Upon his return to his lodge, the mis-
sionary found it invaded by a clamoring crowd of mothers
with their babies in their arms, and followed by their
other children. He at once came forth to them, and they
crowded around him with a rare trustfulness, very unusual
among Indian children, to offer him their little hands.
The mothers were not satisfied until he laid his hands upon
the heads of all the babies and little ones, when they with-
drew contented and happy. To contemplate the reflection
of pure souls in the innocent glance of these children was a
solace and repose after his arduous labors.

The next morning before daybreak, Father De Smet set
off on his return journey to the fort, where the Commis-
sioners were anxiously awaiting the result of his interview.
Repeating the ceremony of his arrival, the chiefs escorted
him, and did not leave him until he had crossed the Powder
River. Eight deputies chosen by the council and several
warriors accompanied him back, among them a venerable
" Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. 89,

356 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

old man, a worthy emulator of the virtues of Pananniapapi,
who had come to the camp to shake the missionary's hand
and to express his happiness at seeing him again. On his
breast he wore a copper cross, old and worn. This was the
only religious token Father De Smet had seen in all the
camp, and it filled him with joy and .emotion. He ques-
tioned the old man to know from whom he had received
this cross. "It was you, Black Robe, who gave me this
cross. I have not laid it aside for twenty-six snows. The
cross has raised me to the clouds among my people. If
I still walk the earth, it is to the cross that I owe it, and
the Great Spirit has blessed my numerous family."

The Father asked him to explain further, and he con-
tinued : "When I was younger, I loved whiskey to madness,
and at every chance I would get drunk and commit ex-
cesses It is now twenty-six snows since my last wild
orgy. I was stupid and sick from it. Just then I had the
good fortune to meet you, and you made known to me
that my behavior was against the will of the Master of
life and offended Him grievously. Since then I have often
had opportunities; my friends have sometimes sought to
induce me to join them in their illicit enjoyments, but
each time this cross has come to my help. I would take
it between my hands and would recall your words and
invoke the Great Spirit. Ever since we first met I have
renounced drink, and have never touched a drop/*

Struck by this heroic perseverance, Father De Smet
wanted to baptize the old man, but there was not time to
instruct him. The intrepid neophyte at once proposed to
join the caravan, happy in the thought that when they
camped he could receive instructions from the Black Robe.
At the end of eight days he was made a Christian, and
with a soul overflowing with joy, returned to his tribe.

Two days later Father De Smet arrived at Port Rice*
News of his success had reached the officers and soldiers,
who had prepared a triumphal reception for him. Hun-
dreds of Indians, proudly wrapped in their mantles, their
heads ornamented with feathers and ribbons, and their
faces daubed with vermilion, came to moot him. The air
rang with cries of joy, in which the deputies from the
Hunkpapas took part, "The warriors formed a long file

SITTING BULL'S CAMP 357

and marched with true military precision. It was a really
remarkable spectacle, though little in accord with the
tastes of the good Father, who does not love the sound of
trumpets and the glare of parades, " an eye-witness re-
ported. 12

On July ad the great peace council was held, in which
fifty thousand Indians were represented. Not in half a
century had there been such an assembly on the Missouri.
The presiding Generals made solemn promises to the
Indians that if they would lay aside their arms, the Govern-
ment would respect their rights, provide for their livelihood,
and treat them as friends. Then the representatives of the
tribes spoke in turn, beginning with the standard-bearer of
the Hunkpapas, whose discourse was a faithful repetition
of the speeches Black Moon and Sitting Bull had made to
Father De Smet. When the Hunkpapas consented to
make peace, the assent of the other tribes was assured.
On condition of an adequate indemnity, the Sioux were to
cede to the United States their reservations in Kansas and
Nebraska, but they were to demand the exclusive pos-
session of the lands north of the Niobrara.

Upon these conditions the treaty was signed. The
Commissioners distributed presents to the Indians, who
then dispersed, each one rejoicing over a reconciliation
which he believed to be lasting.

"I am persuaded, " writes Major-General Stanley, "that
this is the most complete and the wisest of all the treaties
thus far concluded with the Indians of this country.
Without doubt the fulfilment of the provisions of this
treaty will assure peace with the Sioux. But whatever
may be the result, we can never forget, nor shall we ever
cease to admire the disinterested devotion of the Rev.
Father De Smet, who, at the age of sixty-eight years, did
not hesitate, in the midst of the heat of summer, to under-
take a long and perilous journey across the burning plains,
destitute of trees and even of grass; having none but cor-
rupted and unwholesome water, constantly exposed to
scalping by the Indians, and this without seeking either
honors or remuneration of any sort; but solely to arrest

w Major-General Stanley's letter to Bishop Purcell, Fort Sully, July 12,
1868.

358 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the shedding of blood, to save, if it might be, some lives,
and preserve some habitations to these savage children of
the desert. " 13

The Generals who negotiated the peace wished at once to
acknowledge their debt of gratitude, and immediately
after the signing of the treaty they presented an address to
Father De Smet, enumerating the eminent services he had
rendered the United States. "We are satisfied that but
for your long and painful journey into the heart of the
hostile country, and but for the influence over even the
most hostile of the tribes which your years of labor among
them have given you, the results which we have reached
here could not have been accomplished. We are well
aware that our thanks can be but of little worth to you,
and that you will find true reward for your labors and
for the dangers and privations which you have encountered
in the consciousness that you have done much to promote
peace on earth and good will to men; but we should do
injustice to our own feelings were we not to render to you
our thanks and express our deep sense of the obligations
tinder which you have laid us." H

The humble missionary did not tarry long to listen to
such praise. On July 4th he started for St, Louis. He
also believed that peace was assured, and so it would have
been had not the cupidity of the whites overruled the
good faith of the treaty.

w Letter quoted,

14 The address is dated at Fort Rice, July 3, 1868, and signed by Generals
Hamey, Sanborn, and Terry.

CHAPTER XXV

FATHER BE SMET'S LAST LABORS GRANT'S PEACE POLICY
(1869-1872)

Father De Smet's Eighth Visit to Belgium Two Journeys Made in the
Autumn Project to Found a Mission on the Upper Missouri Indian
Peace Policy Father De Smet is Given the Right to Appoint Catholic
Agents Nearly All the Agencies fare Given to Protestant Function-
aries Injustice Done to the Catholic Indians Father De Smet's
Unsuccessful Efforts He Resigns Courageous Fidelity of the Catholic
Indians "Give Me the Value of My Soul" Fervor of the Cceur
d'Al&nes Letter to the Sovereign Pontiff Reply of Pius IX.

pATHER DE SMET regarded the pacification of the
* Sioux as but the prelude to their conversion. For
twenty years he had held the belief that despite their
savagery they would listen to the teaching of the Gospel.
" Their conversion/ 7 he said, "will be a miracle of grace,
but with God's help we will succeed. In my intercourse
with the Indians I have always found them respectful,
diligent, and attentive to the words of the missionary,
manifesting a strong desire to see their children instructed
in the truths of religion, and nowhere have I encountered a
spirit of opposition." 1

Time and again the Sioux had clamored for Black Robes,
and now they came to Port Rice to renew their entreaties.
The head chief of the Yanktons, Two Bears, said in his
speech: "When we are settled down sowing grain, raising
cattle, and living in houses, we want Father De Smet to
come and live with us, and to bring us other Black Robes
to live among us also. We will listen to their words, and
the Great Spirit will love and bless us." Father De Smet's
Superiors approved his project for founding a mission for
the Sioux, a but men and money were lacking. Hence it

1 Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. 143.

* The Father General, on Nov. 16, 1867, wrote the following to Father
De Smet: "Accept et magna cum jucunditate legi Rev Vae carissimas

360 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

was necessary that he undertake another journey to
Europe.

The health of the old missionary demanded that he
should rest after his recent journey to the wilderness.
He writes : ' This letter may well be my last. My health is
very much undermined in consequence of my late painful
journey of about six thousand miles, but still more by the
shocking heat that we have suffered for three months past.
In proportion as I advance in age, heat becomes more and
more insupportable to me. Very often one would say
that I resemble a man whose end is at hand/' 3 For three
years he had been threatened with loss of hearing and
Father Coosemans, his Provincial, wished him to consult
"some good old Belgian doctor.'* So, on November 25,
1868, he sailed for Europe.

This voyage was destined to add another burden to his
infirmities. Before arriving at Liverpool, the boat ran into
a violent storm, during which Father De Smet fell on
deck and broke two of his ribs, not receiving proper atten-
tion until he landed several days later. In spite of this he
set out almost immediately upon his begging tour through
Belgium, France, and Holland, 4 and the following June
he returned to America. The energy and activity of a man
of his years are truly amazing: in sixteen months he had
traveled fifteen thousand miles. On his return to St,
Louis he was obliged to keep to his room for several
weeks, and alas! abandon his journey to the Sioux,

The following autumn, however, he managed to make
'"two good trips," one of 1,200 miles, the other of 800 miles-
He accompanied as far as Omaha six Sisters of Charity
who were going to the Blackfeet, and arranged that they

litterag, et plurimas gratias ago pro notitiis super tribubus In<lorum ot in
specie Jantonum. Profecto ea quae scribit dc tanto dcsiderin tribus istius,
et de iteratis tot annis supplicationibus pro obtincndo saecrdoU.% vaido me
cornmovent, et plane ctipio ut, si quid fiero possit a Provincia vestra* fiat.
. . . Scripsi Patri Provincial: commendans Rcvae Vas dosideria, <?t atfumlu
jam novi ipsum serio idem cupere, velleque omnino, quam prinrnm pttfsk,
manus open admovere."

8 To Father Terwecoren, St. Louis, Aug. 28, 1868.

4 During this visit the missionary had the happiness of performing the
marriage ceremony of his nephew, Paul De Smet and Mile. Augusta Vi*r-
cruysse, and of being present at the first communion of his grandnicce,
Maria Cornet, now Mme. Lie*nart.

FATHER DE SMET'S LAST LABORS 361

should travel in comfort the rest of their journey, himself
paying most of their expenses.

Then he visited the Potawatomies of Kansas; the In-
dians and missionaries received him as a father, but it
pained him to see there, as elsewhere, the demoralizing
influence of the whites upon the Indians. "If the mission-
aries, " he writes, "are to effect real good among the sav-
ages, under the present circumstances, they will need
a profound humility, a truly disinterested zeal, and above
all a sovereign scorn for the judgments of men." 5

But with all this, he did not forget the Indians of the
Upper Missouri, his most cherished mission. Never had
he so desired a foundation, and his correspondence from
1864 reveals his constant preoccupation with this project. 6
At last he felt strong enough to take the journey to that
region, and departed from St. Louis on June i, 1870.
Out of solicitude for the missionary's safety and comfort
in his advanced age, his Superiors sent Father Panken,
a Hollander, whom Father De Smet had gained for the
apostolate in 1857, to accompany him. This was Father
De Smet's last visit to "his children of the desert." How
many times in the past thirty years he had gone up the
Missouri, a crucifix in one hand, the olive branch in the
other! Every wigwam brought back consoling memories:
thousands of children baptized, enemies reconciled, suffer-
ing relieved, and souls enlightened in the mysteries of
faith. Moreover, he could see the beneficent results of the
peace negotiated two years before by 'himself. The Sioux
were living on most friendly terms with the soldiers at the
fort; in the reservations they tilled the soil, were clothed
by the Government, and received weekly rations of flour,
meat, coffee, and sugar. From all directions the Indians
flocked to greet "the great Black Robe," and declared
their desire to remain faithful to the Fort Rice conventions.

On the banks of the Grand River was a large reservation
inhabited by Indians of different tribes. Its central posi-
tion would render the spread of the Gospel easy through
Dakota, and its proximity to the forts would enable the
missionaries to visit the soldiers often, of whom the greater

* Selected Letters, 4th Series, p. 199.

Cf. Chittenden-Kicbardson, pp. 1279-1299.
24

362 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

part were Catholics,- It was here he wished to build a
new foundation.

During this journey he visited about twenty thousand
Sioux, and administered baptism to four hundred.' His
resolutions were made, a mission should be opened the next
spring. In August, fatigue compelled Father De Smet to
return to St. Louis.

On March 20, 1871, he wrote his relatives in Belgium:
"To-day I begin my annual retreat as a preparation for a
long journey to the Indian tribes of the Far West. Two
Fathers will accompany me, and we intend to establish
a mission for the Sioux. The head chiefs of the tribe
are expecting me, and I have just written to inform
them of my plans and to ask them to prepare a cabin
for us in. their camp. I send you the names of these
chiefs; they are my intimate friends, and you, too, will
love them for my sake, I am sure, and will pray for their
conversion." 7

But the long-cherished project was destined never to be
realized. His failing strength was not equal to the labor
involved, and, moreover, the time was not propitious for a
foundation. A recent decision of the Government endan-
gered the future of the existing missions, namely, Grant's
Indian Peace Policy. The conqueror of Richmond, elected
to the Presidency in 1868, had rallied all parties, and in-
augurated a "peace policy* 1 in the United States. He
proclaimed that he wished equally to bring about a good
understanding between the whites and Indians, and to
accomplish this two factors were necessary : the agent and
the missionary,

On December 5, 1870, the President informed Congress
in a message that "Indian agencies being civil offices,
I determined to give all the agencies to such religious de-
nominations as had heretofore established missionaries
among -the Indians, and perhaps to some other denomina-
tions, who would undertake the work on the same terms,
I.e., as missionary wort."' Representatives of the different
lenominations designated in the order would henceforth
the privilege of naining the agents in tfye reservations
7 To Felix and Ehnira Cornet- DC Smet.

FATHER DE SMET'S LAST LABORS 363

where they had missions, upon the sole condition of sub-
mitting their choice for the approval of the President.

This seemed to be a triumph for faith and civilization.
The Indians would no longer be imposed upon by function-
aries who enriched themselves at their expense. Acting
in concert, the missionary and the agent would both gain
in authority, and more abundant resources would enable
them to increase the number of schools.

The Catholic Church, especially, could congratulate itself
upon President Grant's rulings, since the greater number of
the agencies had been evangelized by its missionaries, 8
and which numbered over a hundred thousand neophytes
among the Indians. The Protestant sects numbered less
than fifteen thousand adherents. Great was the astonish-
ment three days later to learn that a Jew had been ap-
pointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon. From
that instant Catholics knew what to expect from promises
of the Qovernment.

In January, 1871, Secretary of the Interior Delano
consulted the episcopacy upon the choice of a representa-
tive to nominate Catholic agents. Father D'e Smet was
proposed by the Archbishops of Baltimore, New York,
Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Called to Washington, the
veteran missionary found himself in the company of about
thirty ministers of the reformed church, likewise summoned
to give their advice on the means of civilizing the tribes.
They claimed the lion's share in the partitioning of the
agencies. "Neither my presence, nor my demands in be-
half of the Catholic missions, produced any effect. The
plan for civilizing and evangelizing the Indians had al-
ready been decided upon by the President and approved
by the Senate/* 9

Afterward it was learned that instead of forty nomina-
tions to which the Catholics were entitled, only eight had
been accorded to them, 10 the remainder being divided

* Besides the Jesuit missions, there were missions established by the
Franciscans, Oblatcs, and secular priests.

* Account addressed to Dr. Linton. *

"Those agencies were the Tulalip and Colville agencies in Washington;
the Grande Ronde and UmatUla agencies in Oregon; those of the Flatheads
in Montana; those of the Papagos in Arizona, and those of Grand River and
Devil's Lake in Dakota.

364 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

among the different sects. The President favored especially
his coreligionists, the Methodists, in granting to them a
third of the agencies.

The Superintendent of Indian Affairs began the dis-
charge of his new functions by making over the Catholic
schools and churches to his Protestant friends, and, in the
case of the Yakimas, forbade Catholic missionaries to en-
ter the reservation. At one stroke, eighty thousand In-
dians, without being consulted, found themselves torn
from the Church or exposed to apostasy. But this was
not all. Large sums of money due the Indians in exchange
for their lands were held by the Government, and the in-
terest on this was used for the upkeep of the schools.
Henceforth this money would be expended on the salaries
of Methodist, Presbyterian, and Quaker school-teachers,
employed to teach the children of Catholic Indians. In
this manner did the Government repay the services ren-
dered their country by the Catholic missionaries.

"If it be true," writes a journalist, "that the Indians
are condemned to annihilation, should they not at least
be allowed to choose the faith in which they wish to die?
Baptized and instructed as Catholics, the Indians have
been divided between the various denominations, and the
missionaries, who collected money in Europe for evan-
gelizing these poor savages, are now expelled from the
missions they founded. Incredible as this seems, documen-
tary proofs of this condition of things are now in the hands
of General Grant. It is horrible to think that these Indians,
who have immortal souls as well as the negroes latdy set
free, are divided into bands and placed under ministers
of every denomination, regardless of their own wishes
and convictions." "

Nor were Father De Smet's missions spared. In the
Rocky Mountains the Flatheads were the only tribe that
had a Catholic agent. The missionary in charge had to
cover a distance of ninety miles to visit his flock. The
Quakers established themselves in the Kansas "reduc-
tions," and were guilty of shameful extortions. "One
can scarcely believe that such a state of things could exist
In the republic of the United States, so much vaunted for

11 New York Freeman 1 s Journal^ Dec, *4, 1872*

GRANTS PEACE POLICY 365

its liberty." With touching confidence which nothing
could shake, he adds, "We pray and hope that justice will
be done." 12

Not content with praying, the intrepid veteran re-
doubled his efforts; he exerted himself to obtain men of
recognized integrity for the posts at his disposal, 13 and
fully informed "himself through the missionaries upon con-
ditions in each reservation and upon the relations existing
between the agents and the Indians.

On March 27, 1871, he addressed to General Parker,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a long account of the
situation, notably in Montana, Idaho, and Washington
territories. The Nez Perces, a tribe almost exclusively
Catholic, were handed over to the Presbyterians. The
chief of the Spokanes was threatened with imprisonment
for having tried to restrain the licentiousness of his tribe.
The Catholic agent among the Blackfeet had been replaced
by a sectarian as debauched as he was malicious. In
Dakota, where the Sioux clamored for Black Robes, all the
agencies but two had been given to Protestants.

Recalling the services rendered by his fellow-mission-
aries, Father De Smet demanded for them the right to pur-
sue their apostolate unhindered : 'Tor thirty years we have
labored among the benighted tribes of the Far West with
only the view of promoting the knowledge of God among
them and adding to their temporal welfare. We have di-
vided with them the little means placed at our disposal, and
often have we joyfully shared their poverty and privations/'

Pour years before General Parker had owed the success of
his office among the Sioux to Father De Smet, and common
justice required that he now should accede to the priest's
request. But for the moment the Indians were quiet,
so why consider a priest whose services were no longer
necessary? The letter remained unanswered. For a year
Father De Smet repeated his requests at Washington. He
could not resign himself to see his neophytes become
Methodists and free-thinkers* He wrote the Secretary of

"St. Louis, May 3, 1871, Cf. Letters and Notices, 1871, p 329^

u Patjjer Do Smet had Major O'Connor appointed to the agency at Grand

River, and Major Jones to the agency among the Flathcads, both of whom

wore exemplary Catholics,

3 66 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the Interior: "All that the Catholic bishops and mission-
aries aim at,, in this country of religious liberty, is to be
allowed their rights, in accordance with their call from
above, to evangelize the Indians who have received them
with joy, and not to be turned out of the missions where
they have labored for years with zeal and fervor for the
welfare and salvation of the Indians, as has been the case
in 'several sections/' 14

Like his colleague on Indian Affairs, the Secretary of
the Interior did not deign to reply to the grievances of a
Jesuit. Wearied at last with fruitless protestations, and
in the knowledge that the right to appoint agents de-
pended for each diocese upon the Bishop, Father De Smet
sent in his resignation as representative.

The Indians found it difficult to get along with their new
masters, and felt like orphans since the departure of the
Black Robes. They sent frequent messages to the Great
Father at Washington, entreating him to give them back
their Catholic agents, their priests, and their Catholic
schools. Such petitions received scant recognition at the
White House, the religious convictions of the Indians being
of as little importance in the eyes of the Government as
their lives and property.

Without the slightest provocation, the soldiers gave
themselves over to fearful massacres. 35 Then came the
revolt of Sitting Bull and the bloody death of Custer,
slaughtered together with his regiment, 1 * which opened the

14 St. Louis, June ig t 1872.

15 "Had it not been for the Influence exercised by the missionaries, the
injustice inflicted on the Platheads and Fend d'GrciUvft wmiM Iig ago
have made them revolt." (Report of the Commissioner of Indian AfTairs
to the Secretary of the Interior, 1869, p* 254.)

"The whites to-day occupy Idaho and Montana territories to the groat
detriment of the Indians. American soldiers have lately committed frt*h
massacres in which one hundred and seventy-three Indians, meatfly wontvn
and children, have perished." (Letter fronj Father DC Smct u> C. Van
Kerckhove, St. Louis, March 8, 1870.)

On April 30, 1871, about five hundred Apaches wore put to <!with nwir
Camp Grant in Arizona, Cf. Helen Hunt Jackson, "A Century of Dis-
honor," p. 325, et seq.

18 It will be remembered that in 1868, at Port Rice, the United State*
guaranteed to the Sioux possession of the Bad Lands north of the Ntohrara*
Some years later gold was discovered in the Black Hills, and minor* aver*
ran the country and took complete possession of it* Again and again
the Indians appealed to Washington without redress. This occupation

GRANTS PEACE POLICY 367

eyes of legislators to the state of things. But Father De
Smet was not there to repair the faults and mistakes made
by the American Government, and to bring about peace
when the burdens of war had made it too heavy to continue.

Despite persecutions, the Catholic Indians with but few
exceptions remained faithful to the Church.

A Methodist minister who for some time had labored to
turn Ignace, the chief of the Yakimas, from his faith,
asked him one day how much he would want for changing
to Protestantism.

"A big price," the chief answered him,

"Two hundred dollars?"
"More than that."

"Then how much? Five hundred, six hundred dollars?"
' "Oh, more than that!"

* ' Indeed ! State your price. J '

"The price of my soul." 17

It was thus that the Christian spirit, tuiited to Indian
pride, made these primitive natures admirable types of
nobility and fidelity.

But of all the tribes, the Coeur d'Al&nes were distin-
guished for their devotion to the Church. "During the
fifteen years I have known them," writes Father Joset,
"never has their faith been so ardent as now. I am con-
vinced that if we had sufficient means, these Indians would
outrival the Paraguay missions." 18 Learning in 1871 of
the Pope's situation and that the Italian Government had
seized Rome, . the Coeur d'Alfenes immediately addressed
to Pius IX the assurance of their filial attachment:

"Most merciful Father, it is not temerity, but love which
moves us to write to you. We are, it is true, the most
humble of all the Indian tribes, while you are the greatest
among living men. But you were the first to cast a look
of pity upon us. Yes, Father, thirty winters ago we were

of land, added to the villainy of the agents, provoked an uprising of the
tribes in 1876. Sitting Bull, in the valley of the Little Big Horn, surprised
General Custer, who perished with seventeen officers and more than three
hundred soldiers* The maddened victors mutilated the bodies in a
ing manner.

17 Letter from Father Grassi to 'Catholic Missions, 1873, p. 15.

Letter from Father De Smet to the Catholic Review, Aug. 9t

368 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

a savage people, miserable in both body and soul until
you sent us the great Black Robe, Father De Smet, to make
us children of God through baptism. We were blind,
and you sent him to open our eyes. Many of us were still
in darkness when Father De Smet left us; then you sent
us another Black Robe, our good Father Nicholas, 19 who
came and lived with us and awakened us, directing us in
the path that leads to heaven. And how many other
Fathers have you not given us to teach us and our chil-
dren the law of God and make us better Christians.

"Hence, Father, hearing that you are in affliction, we
wish to thank you for your charity, and express to you our
great love and deep sorrow in learning that some of your
wicked children continue to cause you suffering after hav-
ing robbed you of your house.

"Although we are only poor Indians, ignorant of the
amenities of life, we regard such conduct as a crime. Only
fifty years ago, we ourselves were still savages, but we
would not have dared to act thus had we known that the
dignity and power of the Pope come from Christ. For
this reason we have prayed and will continue to pray
with all the ardor poor Indians are capable of, for thee,
Father, and for the entire Church. Moreover, having
come from our various camps to assemble in the mission
church, we have for nine days said many prayers and
performed acts of virtue which we offer to the Heart of
Jesus for thee. This morning we counted our acts and de-
votions and found they numbered 120,527. Judging this
insufficient, we offered our own hearts for our excellent
Father, the Pope, in the assured belief that this offering
will not be rejected.

"We have a number of soldiers, not trained for war,
but to keep order in our camp. If these men can be of
service to the Pope, we offer them joyfully, and they
will esteem themselves fortunate in being able to spill
their blood and give their lives for our good Father Pius IX.
"And now may we tell you our fears and misgivings?
The sellers of whiskey are daily drawing nearer. We
fear to betray our Saviour in taking back the hearts we
have given Him. Help us, and strengthen us by thy

19 Father Nicholas Point.

GRANT'S PEACE POLICY 369

prayers! But our dear children are still more to be pitied,
because they are more exposed; not so much our sons,
who have real fathers in the Black Robes, but our daugh-
ters, who as yet have no kind mothers to look after them.
We have often asked for Black Robes of their sex, but our
voices are too weak to be heard, and we are too poor to
do more than ask. Who will send us good mothers to
instruct our daughters and strengthen them against the
enemy that draws near, if not thou, who hast always had
compassion on us, even when we were pagans?

" These are the sentiments of our hearts, but as we poor
Indians attach little value to expressions of feeling unless
they are accompanied by material gifts, we have collected
dollars and small coins, that we may give you, so to speak,
a piece of our own flesh, as a measure of our sincerity.
Notwithstanding our poverty, to our great surprise we
have been able to collect $110.

"And now, Father, once again allow us to open our
hearts. Oh, how happy we would be, despite our unworthi-
ness, could we receive a word from your lips, a word that
will help us and our wives and children to find an entry
into the Heart of Jesus !

"VINCENT, of the Stellam family.
"ANDREW SELTIS, of the family of Emote."

If we reflect that the Coeur d'A16nes formerly passed for
the most ferocious of the mountain tribes, we shall see in
their naive and generous piety an extraordinary fruit of
grace. The Father General presented the letter to Pius
IX, who in reading it forgot for the moment the misery of
his captivity. If old Europe repudiated the Faith, the
Church now beheld new sons coming to her from the other-
side of the ocean, their fresh souls ignorant of falsehood and
opposed to vice and error with a fidelity worthy of the early
Christians.

The Holy Father's reply reads:

"BELOVED SONS, salutation and apostolic benediction!

"The devoted sentiments which you, in the simplicity
of your hearts express, have caused us great joy. Your
sorrow over the attacks made against the Church, as well
as your devotion and filial love for the Holy See, is a striking
proof of the faith and charity that fill your hearts, attach-

370 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S J.

ing you firmly to the center of unity. For this reason we
feel certain that your prayers and supplications which rise
unceasingly to God will be efficacious for us and for the
Church, and we accept with deep feelings of gratitude the
offering of your generous charity. The hand of God pro-
tects those who seek Him sincerely, and we believe that
your good words will obtain the grace to resist the dangers
of corruption that threaten you, and the spiritual help
which you desire for your daughters. We beg God to
complete in you the work of grace, and to fill you with His
choicest blessings. As a presage of this and a token of
our gratitude and paternal favor, we give you from our
heart the apostolic benediction.

"Given at Rome, near St. Peter's, July 31, 1871, in the
twenty-sixth year of our Pontificate.

"Pius IX, Pope." 20

In transmitting to Father De Smet these encouraging
words, the Father General writes: "This is the first brief
that has ever been addressed to an Indian chief by the
Sovereign Pontiff/' It was on August 15, 1872, that the
reply of Pius IX was communicated to the Cceur d* Alncs,
Father Cataldo had convoked an assembly of several
mountain tribes, each one of which was represented by a
large delegation. At the appointed hour they formed in
procession, headed by twelve acolytes in surplices with

20 "DiLECTi FILII, salutem et apostolicam bcnedictionemf
"lis devotionis sensibus, quos in simplicitate cordis vcstri Nobis signi-
ficastis, Dilecti Filii, non mediocriter delectati sumus, cum in dolors a vobis
concepto ob insectationes Ecclesiae, non minus quam in filial* erga hanc
Sanctam Sedem obsequio et amore, splendescere viderimus title m illam et
caritatem, quae diffusa est in cordibus vestris, quaequc, vos huio Unitatis
centro arctius obstringit. Quocirca, sicuti non dubitamus quin orationes ct
obsecrationes vestrae, fidenter et instanter elatx ad Dcum, suftrugatune
sint Ecclesiae et Nobis, sic stipem a vobis tanto corrogatam amore pretiosis*
simam ducimus. Et quoniani manus Domini est super omncn qiuercntos
eum in bonitate, confidimus pia opera vestra conciliatura quoquc vobis cm%
cum auxilium adversus curruptionis, pericula qms timctia, turn spiritualia
subsidia quae pro filiabus vestris concupiscitis. Nos ccrtc Dcum rogamus
ut gratiae suse opus in vobis plenius semper perfxciat^ vosque sui omnibus
ditet muneribus. Horum autem auspicem, et grati animi Nostri acpatema>
benevolentiae pignus, apostolicam benedictionern vobis pcramantcr imj>cr-
timus.

" Datum Romae apud S. Petrum, die 31 julii, anno 1871, Pontificates Nostri
anno vicesimo sexto.

14 Pius P. P. IX/'

GRANT'S PEACE POLICY 371

tapers in their hands. Then came the missionaries in
copes and dalmatics, preceding a statue of the Blessed
Virgin, placed on a dais ornamented with flowers and gar-
lands and carried by the four head chiefs. To the right
and left of the statue walked two lines of Indian soldiers
in full dress and armed. Then followed an immense con-
course in serried ranks, reciting the rosary and chanting
litanies.

The procession stopped before the improvised altar.
High Mass was said in the open and many neophytes re-
ceived holy communion. The ceremony over, one of the
missionaries read in Latin the pontifical letter and it was
then translated into the dialects of the Coeur d'Alnes,
Kalispels, Kettles, Nez Percys, and Yakimas. Every head
was bowed to receive the Holy Father's benediction, and
from that time the redskins felt themselves ennobled.
The brief that they had just heard read was their charter
of admittance into the fold of Christ.

As for Father De Smet, he found in the Holy Father's
benevolence and in the neophytes' fervor the greatest
recompense for his labors.

CHAPTER XXVI

FATHER DE SMEl'S LAST VOYAGE TO EUROPE HIS RETREAT

IN ST. LOUIS HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES HIS DEATH

(1872-1873)

Father De Smet's Serious Illness in Brussels He Thinks of Living in
Belgium and Opening a School There for Apostolic Work His Jubilee
as a Jesuit His Retreat New Edition of the "Letters'* Ho Begins
the History of the Origin of the Missouri Province Father De Smct's
Intercourse with His Fellow- Jesuits He is Esteemed by Outsiders
Dr. Linton The " Linton Album " The Missionary Traveled Nearly
261,000 Miles Father De Smet's Spirit of Faith His Love of the
Religious Life How He Practiced Poverty and Obedience His,
Piety His Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St. Anthony, the Souls in
Purgatory Last Illness Farewell to the Indians His Last Letter
to His Family His Death His Funeral Bishop Ryan's Panegyric
The Grief of the Indians How Father De Smct's Work Lives After
Him.

ON July 1,1871, Father De Smet sailed from New York
on his last journey to Belgium in search of men and
money for his missions. After visiting his native country
he spent the rest of the year in traveling through Holland,
Luxemburg, the north of Prance, England, and Ireland.
Never had he displayed more zeal nor obtained greater
success.

"What are the principal obstacles to the conversion of
the savages?" he was asked. " There is only one,** he
replied, "the scarcity of priests. If we had enough priests
to instruct the Indians they would all become Catholics. "

New apostles presented themselves, attracted by the
hope of a rich harvest of souls, and nine were accepted to
return to America with the eminent missionary. 1 In
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Tournai, and Bruges charitable
and generous women gave quantities of ornaments and
sacred vessels for the mission churches.

1 Father Guidi, then in his third year at Trondiicnnes, was of this number.

LAST JOURNEY TO EUROPE 373

In January, Father De Smet was forced to interrupt his
travels and give up the conferences he usually made with
young college students. "I am so weak/' he writes, "that
even a short conversation tires me. The doctor orders
complete rest and forbids all work or preoccupation for
the missions. " 2

On February i2th, at the college in Brussels, he was sud-
denly seized with a violent attack of nephritis, accom-
panied by frequent hemorrhages. It was thought neces-
sary to bleed him, an operation very repugnant to the
invalid; he resigned himself to it only by submission to the
rule of St. Ignatius which enjoins obedience to the physi-
cian. His condition improved after a few days, but his
strength returned so slowly that Dr. Cranincx, his old
schoolmate at Mechlin, did not disguise his anxiety.

During the past two or three years, when it had seemed
likely he would not be able to continue his missionary work,
he had thought of returning to Belgium to live, founding
there a training-school for apostolic work. A proof that
he seriously contemplated this step is found in the follow-
ing lines written by his brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Van
Mossevelde : ' ' During Father De Smet's stay in Termonde,
we often went to my country-place, Saint-Gilles, and there
in the garden we chose a spot for the chapel and the insti-
tution which he proposed to erect with the consent of his
Superiors, to be opened as a novitiate for the American
missions of the Society of Jesus. This was to have been
built at my expense.

"Although ill and enfeebled after his last crossing, he
could not be persuaded to rest. Ever confiding in God's
help, he hoped to regain his strength sufficiently to return
to his dear Indians. 'Oh/ said he* and it slipped out
through excess of devotion to his missions, for he loved us
too much to dispel our hopes of having him with us in his
declining years, 'if I must die soon, I trust God will let
me die in the midst of my Indians,' " 3

* To Charles Van Mosscvelde, Antwerp, Jan, 30, 1872. .

* To Father Deynoodt, Termonde, Dec. 8, 1873.

More than once Father De Smct himself made illusion in his letters to
this project: "Dear Rosalie, our conversations often return to the subject
of erecting a chapel at Boomwijck, an agreeable perspective for me, now
that I am nearing my seventieth year with the infirmities that usually ac-

374 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

In November, 1872, Father Boeteman opened an apos-
tolic school at Turnhout, next to Mr. De Nef 's old college,
which had been prospering for forty years. Father De Smet
took pleasure in encouraging this new work; he inter-
ested generously-disposed people in the cause, and sent
them promising young men. 4

After a sojourn of nine months in Europe, the missionary
longed to return to his neophytes, but his friends tried to
dissuade him from taking the long journey, telling him
that even if he survived the voyage he would languish in a
state of invalidism, for the malady from which he suffered
was incurable. All that was human in him said: Stay!
But a voice stronger than that of nature, the voice of zeal
and charity, cried out: Go! You may still, in that far-off
country, accomplish much good. Go to your beloved
Indians; take them once more the fruit of your labors, your
last words, and if need be, your last sigh!

And the old man went, tearing himself from his beloved
family and friends. On April 7, 1872, he sailed from Ant-
werp with nine other missionaries, arriving eighteen days
later at St. Louis, never to leave it again.

On October, 10, 1871, St. Louis University was the scene
of a solemn and affecting ceremony, when Fathers Van
Assche and Verreydt celebrated the fiftieth anniversary
of their entrance into the novitiate at Whitemarshu They,
with Father De Smet, were the last surviving members of
Father Nerinckx's little band. 6 From all parts of Mis-
souri came the Jesuits to offer their congratulations to the
pioneers of the Gospel, who with Father Van Quickcnborne,

company this age, and from which I am not exempt. We all cherish illu-
sions at times, and this is permissible when one leaves all in God* hands in
perfect submission to His holy will." (To Charles and Rosalie Van MOOPC-
velde, St. Louis, April 21, 1870,)

*"In helping this institution you are rendering a great service to the
cause of Catholicism. From Turnhout will go forth in time young apostles
who, after the example of the first twelve, shall spread throughout the worM
the gracious light of the Gospel; in which work you will share through your
zeal, help, and prayers." (To Mile. Athalie Werbrouck, St. Louis, Nov, 8,
1872.)

6 Father Verhaegen died at St. Charles in 1868, after having filled the
office of Rector of the University and Provincial of the Missouri and Mary-
land Provinces. Father Van Assche died at Florissant in 1877; Father
Verreydt at Cincinnati in 1883.

LAST JOURNEY TO EUROPE 375

upon the hill overlooking the village of Florissant, had laid
the cradle of the Province.

Detained in Europe, Father De Smet was unable to take
part in this happy celebration. He was compensated in a
measure, however, by the tokens of sympathy that came
to him from all parts; the missionaries promised to say
many Masses for him in gratitude for all he had done for
them; the children of St. Ignatius' Mission sent to St. Louis
a list of communions, prayers, and rosaries offered for
"their good Father," on the occasion of his jubilee.

Nine years had passed since Father De Smet's last visit
to the Rocky Mountains. One day the Cceur d'A16nes
came to Father Cataldo, saying: "We wish to invite the
great Black Robe to come once more to visit us." "Father
De Smet is an old man," replied the missionary, "it will be
difficult for him to make such a journey." "Be it so.
But at least it will give him pleasure to hear that the
Coeur d' Al&nes keep him ever in grateful remembrance." 6

The Flatheads and Kalispels professed the same attach-
ment, and also pleaded for a visit from the beloved mis-
sionary. "Gladly would I undertake the journey did my
health permit. It may be possible in the spring, but I
must tell you the doctor gives tne little hope and says I am
un oiseau four le chat" he was forced to reply. Then
alluding to the wrongs suffered by the Flatheads, 7 he says,
in a letter to Father Giorda, "I share in their sufferings
and pray daily for their happiness and that they may
persevere in the Faith. I ask the same grace for the Pend
d'Oreilles, the Coeur d'Al&nes, the Kootenais, etc. I am
firmly convinced that their good Fathers will not abandon
them." 8

6 The Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, 1874, p. 352.

* From 1870 the Government unceasingly urged the Flatheads to leave
the Bitter Root Mountains, and, with the Kalispels, go north to the Jocko
reservation near Missoula, In the summer of 1872 a convention was
drawn up, by which the Indians were to give up their lands to the United
States. "Witnesses present on the occasion, among them General Garfield
himself* state that Chariot, chief of the Flatheads, opposed the convention,
and refused to sign it. The original copy preserved at the Department of
the Interior at Washington proves the truth of this statement. The act
submitted to and approved by Congress nevertheless bears the name of
Chariot as first signatory. Who was guilty of this flagrant violation of
the rights of the tribes?" (Pailadino, "Indian and White in the North-
west," p. 66.) * St. Louis, Oct. 27, 1872.

376 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

Having been relieved of all his active duties,^ Father De
Smet continued to serve the missions through his pen. He
wrote articles of interest for the Catholic magazines in
America and England, and in Belgium published a new
edition of his " Letters," 9 with some notices of the principal
Missouri missionaries. "I wish, as far as in my power, to
save them from oblivion, and at the same time give pleasure
to their families. " 10

For his fellow-priests he began a history of the origin
of the Province, but death arrested the work hardly begun.
It is with deep emotion that we read these pages yellow
with age, upon which the old missionary wrote the account
of his first journey and his recollections of his novitiate.

During his sojourn at the University, the St. Louis
Jesuits learned to appreciate the charm of Father De Smet's
society, and the quality of his virtues. Their testimony
enables us to throw in relief the distinguishing traits of
this exceptional and noble figure. In community life he
was noted for his amiability. Years had rendered even
more indulgent his natural kindliness, and far from demand-
ing consideration for himself, he sought the last place and
permitted the younger members to joke and make merry
with him. 11

He was much sought after by outsiders. The prestige
of his name and labors, his dignified and simple manners,
his amiability, and the charm of his conversation, opened
every circle to him. He was listened to for hours, less from
deference to his person than for the charm of his recitals. 13

"I can truthfully state," writes one of the St, Louis
Fathers, "that there does not exist a priest, nay, not oven a
bishop, in the United States so well known and esteemed

This edition in six volumes was published in Brussels (1873-1878)
through the efforts of Father Deynoodt.

10 Letter to Father Deynoodt, St. Louis, 1872*

11 A few months before his death he wrote to one of the Belgian Fathers:
"I am very grateful to you for the interest you take in the new edition of
my 'Letters,' and I thank you for the good opinion you express about me.
Your Reverence honors me in thinking that I am so popular, but this & far
from being the case. In any case, should I become so t it will not be because
I merit popularity." (To Father Deynoodt. Quoted at the beginning of
his Selected Letters, 4th Series, pp. viii and ix.)

u The Woodstock Letters, 1874, P* 62.

HIS RETREAT IN ST. LOUIS 377

as Father De Smet. He is the glory of the University, the
idol of Americans. I know a man who traveled a great
distance for the sole pleasure of seeing him; another told
me he would give almost anything to hear him preach." ls

He seldom preached, however, but he waxed eloquent in
conversation when speaking about the unjust treatment
of the Indians. On one occasion he was asked: "How
could you take pleasure in being with those terrible sav-
ages?" "Terrible savages!" he replied. "You do not
know what you are saying. You do not know these simple,
good people. I have met many more savages in the great
cities of America and Europe than in the plains and
deserts of the West. Why is it astonishing that the
Indians attach so little value to the blessings and advan-
tages of civilization? They judge them by the vices which
the whites practice under their eyes. And what have
they seen to appreciate in the conduct of the American
agents, who have often robbed them?" 14

This frankness never offended any one; Protestants and
Catholics alike, officers and statesmen, professed great
esteem for the missionary. One of his greatest friends was
Dr. Linton, a Presbyterian convert, for thirty years a pro-
fessor at the St. Louis University. A remarkably gifted
man, he was not only a physician, but a poet and an
orator; he was deeply attached to the Society of Jesus, 15
and to him we owe one of the most precious souvenirs of
Father De Smet, namely, the "Linton Album," a richly-
bound volume replete with photographs and drawings, in
which the missionary year by year inscribed his itinerary. 15
On his return from every journey he found his friend's

u Letter from Father Busschots to Father Deynoodt, St. Louis, Good
Friday, 1875.

w Cf. Bishop Ryan's sermon at Father De Smet's funeral, in the Western
Watchman, St. Louis, May 31, 1873.

**"Ad majorem Dei gloriamt Who devised this motto? I should like
to know. Nothing is more sublime; nothing more profound is to be found
in human language than these four words. They embrace heaven and
earth* and apply equally to the most august hierarchies that surround
the throne of God and the humblest dwellers on earth. They contain
what is greatest in poetry and eloquence; they signify what is holiest,
most worthy, and best in time and eternity*" (Extract from a farewell
letter written by Dr. Linton to the St. Louis Jesuits a fortnight before his
death, Cf. W. Hill, "Historical Sketch of the St. Louis University/' p. 112.)

** The Linton Album is now the property of the St, Louis University*
25

378 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

book lying open on his table; he would then take his pen
and in his clear, firm handwriting add a page to the account
of his expeditions. No doubt it was an immense satisfac-
tion to sum up the number of miles he had traveled.
From 1821 to 1872 it amounted to 260,929 miles, nearly
nine times the distance around the earth. 17 Many ex-
plorers and travelers have won fame for much less.

Through his high connections, Father De Smet could
have furthered his personal ambitions, but never did he
profit by them save in behalf of the Indians. Nor did he
sacrifice for popularity the interest of souls or his priestly
duties. Such was his reputation for integrity that even
the worst enemies of the Church and the Society of Jesus
were constrained to exclaim : ' ' If only he was one of us P ' ls

The motive power of his life was the spirit of faith; this
gave him the courage to face the hardships of his prodigious
labors. He tells us this himself in a letter written in 1849,
after his first journey to the Sioux: "To those who have
passed their days amid the joys of family life, and been
blessed with prosperity, a journey across the desert appears
a forbidding experience of human suffering and misery.
But he who lifts his thoughts above the passing things of the
world to consider truth, which all nature speaks, and de-
sires the salvation of the many souls who would love and
serve their Creator if they but knew Him he sees in the
privations of the desert and in the dangers and perils one
encounters there, but slight inconveniences, far preferable
to the sweets of indolence and the dangers of riches. Such
a man meditates on the words of the Saviour: 'The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent
carry it away/ He recalls the sufferings and trials of
God, made man, 'who being without sin, yet bore all suffer-
ings.' Through tribulation and dangers, through cold and

17 It is possible that this number is somewhat exaggerating a# Pathw
De Smet, in his first journeys, was often forced to roughly fKtimate flfctanw**,

18 Long ago Father De Smet had learned how Httie men's favor c:mmU
"All is vanity on this earth and nothing wholly satisfies the human heart.
Many times have I realized this truth in my travels, whon I have eonvwwtl
with men of all religions, of every shade of opinion, and of all claw* <if
society. The happiest are the believers, I mean, the children rf tbe Church,
and among them also are found those who msto others happy." (Selected
Letters, 3d Series, p. 262.)

HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES 379

heat, through blood and death, did Christ enter into the
kingdom of His Father; along this path must he travel
who wishes to live and die tinder His noble standard." 19

The spirit of faith also explains Father De Smet's calm
assurance in adversity, which was so much admired by
those around him. "I lived with him for some time,"
writes Father Gazzoli, "and more than once accompanied
him on laborious journeys over bad roads, through bad
weather and countless other difficulties, and what always
struck me was his unalterable cheerfulness and equanimity
of temper." 20

Refusing nothing to the Master he served, he counted
always on His providence, and abandoned himself to it
with a simplicity that recalls the naive confidence of the
saints. He was sincerely attached to his vocation and
declared he had found in it the hundredfold promise: "In
the course of my long peregrinations through the world,
it is in community life that I have found the greatest
happiness to which man can aspire here below." 21 He
knew, moreover, that to fully enjoy the advantages and
rewards of this state, one must accept its obligations.

"Poverty for him was not an empty word; he loved to
see it put into practice. Those who lived with him knew
how he disliked to see a priest too elegant and fastidious
in his dress, which he contended impaired his prestige with
the faithful, and shocked them not less than excessive
negligence. He was most careful and exact in his own
expenditures, and although he administered the finances
of the Province for many years, he never spent the smallest
stun upon himself without asking permission." 22

lft To Gustavo Van Kerckhove, St. Louis, May I, 1849.

20 To Father Deynoodt, Cocur d'Al&nes Mission, Aug. 2, 1879. In
another letter Father Gazi&oli relates the following fact, told him by an old
Iroquois, one of Father De Smet's former guides: "During one of his jour-
neys, the missionary, overcome with fatigue, gave the order to camp. His
traveling companions protested, saying there was no water in that locality,
but, as he insisted, they gave way, The Father, who had never traveled
through this country before, assured them they would find water and
indicated the spot. They wont and found enough water for the caravan.
Every member of the party attributed the find to the prayers of the mis-
sionary." (To Father Deynoodt, Jan, 6 1881.)

** To the Superior of the Servants of Mary, at Brps-Querbs, Brussels,
Dec. 3, 1856,

* The Woodstock Letters, 1874. M Father De Smet His Services to the

3 8o THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

Yet still more remarkable was his obedience. Father
Coosemans, for nine years his Superior, speaks of it in the
following words: ' 'Father De Smet valued and practiced
obedience to a degree that astonished outsiders, who mar-
veled to see an old, white-haired man as obedient as a
little child. He never undertook the shortest journey with-
out the sanction of his Superior. If the affair in question
was important, approbation was not sufficient; he wished
an express order. Then and then only did he confidently
set off, sure of heaven's protection, to brave gladly the
dangers and hardships inseparable from his journeys. la
community life he observed faithfully and strictly the rules
of the house; although strangers often came to visit him
during the evening recreation, he somehow managed always
to be present at the Litanies. 23 It sometimes happened he
was unable to get rid of his visitor, when he would beg to bo
excused to attend evening prayers." 24 Such virtue as his
found its nourishment in a sincere and tender piety. From
1827 on Father De Smet offered daily and with lively faith
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Even during his long jour-
neys he omitted it only on rare occasions through force of
circumstances.

We have often spoken of his devotion to the Blessed
Virgin. During his dangerous voyages he invoked the
protection of her who, though gloriously enthroned in
heaven, still keeps the heart of a mother, the all-powerful
Mother of Him who rules the waves. 25 The rosary he wore
in his girdle and which he recited daily, was the means
of many conversions. 26

After the example of Father Marquette, who centuries
before had consecrated the valley of the Mississippi to the

Society, and his Religious Life," p. 63. Article by Rev. R. Meyer, later
Provincial of Missouri, and assistant of England.

28 In Jesuit houses it is the custom to recite the Litany of the Soantu in the
evening.

24 Letter to Father Deynoodt, Chicago, April 26, 1876.

25 Itinerary, 1856.

26 This rosary, worn thin by the missionary's fingers, is to-day the property
of one of his nieces, Madam Lie*nart of TournaL She tells us, "One of my
cousins, ill with typhoid fever, was in extremis. Father I)e Smet's rostary
was put under her pillow, and immediately her condition improved and she
finally recovered. I was at that time very delicate and my mother hun
the precious rosary near my bed, where it has remained for thirty yean*'*
(Tournai, Nov. 3, 1910.)

HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES 381

Immaculate Virgin, he gave the name of St. Mary to the
first mountain mission. He loved to associate the happiest
memories of his life with the feasts of the Virgin. "After
Him who is the Author of all good/' he said, "let us render
thanks to Her whom the Church permits us to call our life,
our sweetness, and our hope, since it has pleased divine
goodness that great favors should be accorded us on the
feasts in which she is especially honored." 27

All Father De Smet's friends knew of the confidence he
reposed in St. Anthony. On more than one occasion the
great wonder-worker had found things for him, seemingly
lost beyond reclaim. He himself loved to tell of instances:
"You have perhaps heard that I had on board the Hum-
boldt 28 a case filled with silver chalices and monstrances.
For five months I believed they were at the bottom of the
sea; I made a novena to St. Anthony rather late, you
will say. But not so, for a month afterward the case was
returned to me in as good condition as when it left the
shop." 29

Another distinguishing trait of piety was his touching
devotion to the souls in purgatory. "Every time/ 1 writes
Father Coosemans, "that he returned from a long journey,
either from Europe or across the plains from the Far West,
we knew he would ask Masses for his dear souls. In fact,
whenever a serious difficulty arose, or he found himself
facing danger, he asked the help of the souls in purgatory.
In return he promised them many Masses, more even than
he could himself say, but he counted on the charity of his
fellow-priests, who willingly helped him discharge his
debt." 30

The hour of reward for the heroic missionary was ap-
proaching. Scarcely had he returned to St. Louis when
the kidney trouble from which he had suffered at Brussels
reappeared in an exaggerated form. "As regards my
health," he writes on June aist, "the machine is com-
pletely out of order* For two months I have been confined

** Letter to the Carmelites of Termonde, Bitter Root, Oct, 26, 1841.
( M Journeys in the Rocky Mountains," 2d Edition, p. 214.)
n In regard to the shipwreck of the Humboldt, sec p. 297.
** Letter to Mr. J. Key, a ship-owner at Antwerp, St. Louis, Sept. 12, 1854.
10 Letter quoted*

382 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

to my room by order of the doctor, and I have to follow a
very strict and, for me, quite new regime. My mantel-
piece looks like a drug-shop and the very sight of it takes
away my appetite. I am extremely feeble. Nevertheless,
I am not without hope, for I am convalescing. May
God's will be done." 31

In this weakened state of health he depended more and
more upon the affection of his family, and he thanked them
effusively for a pilgrimage they made to Lourdes for his
recovery. "Your kind and dear letter," he writes, ''was
a most agreeable surprise. It is always a day of rejoicing
when I hear from my family, and I will always be grateful
to those who write to me and remember me. I pray es-
pecially for them each time I have the happiness of ascend-
ing to the altar. Encourage them all to write often, if
only a few lines." 32

One of his nieces sent him a chasuble, "whose beautiful
handwork was much admired by the whole community."
To her husband he wrote, "Dear Gustavo, please &ive
Marie my best thanks. This chasuble is a souvenir which,
with my Superior's permission, I will keep to the end of
my days. I promise you to wear it on all the feasts of the
Blessed Virgin, when I will offer the Holy Sacrifice for the
pious donor's intention, for the welfare and happiness of
her husband and dear children, for her esteemed parents,
and for all those whose intentions she wishes to join to
hers." 33 In return he sent "Indian curiosities* 1 and holy
pictures for the children, and "a big kiss for dear little
Paul and Etienne." 34

The year 1872 in the United States was marked by the
presidential campaign which preceded Grant's reelection.
Father De Smet, however, took little interest in politics, 8 *

81 To Father Deynoodt.

82 To his nephew Emile de Meren, Sept. 6, 1872,
88 To Gustave Van Kerckhove, Sept. n r 1872*

84 Paul and Etienne De Smet, grandsons of Francis, the brother of the
missionary.

88 " To a disinterested spectator, the campaign is amusing. The whole city
is decorated, either for Greeley or Grant. Every night band* of mask-
march through the streets with banners, followed by thousands ^touting to
wake the dead and burning an enormous amount of firework*. It u un-
bearable, yet one gets accustomed to it* The world must go on in it* own
way, and after all there is no harm in working for cither Greeky or Grant;

HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES 383

the progress of Catholicism being his sole occupation.
"When we first came to St. Louis the town boasted
of 4,000 inhabitants and possessed but one church.
To-day its population numbers 450,000 and next Sun-
day the Bishop will bless the thirty-sixth church. Our
first establishment in Missouri was composed of two
Fathers, seven novices, and three lay Brothers. We
now number two hundred and seventy-five; we possess
three large colleges and a dozen houses with prosperous
missions/' 36

It had always been a trial for the ardent apostle not to be
able to share the labors of his fellow-priests. However, in
1870, when an eight-day retreat brought together an im-
mense congregation in the college church in St. Louis, Father
De Smet gave the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
every evening. On the last day of the retreat he celebrated
Mass and helped two other priests distribute two thousand
communions. He wept for joy.

Some months before his death he devoted himself to an
aged infidel, and with untiring patience and goodness
taught him the elements of religion. Upon the feast of the
Immaculate Conception he had the joy of conferring
baptism upon him.

This was his last apostolic act. Two days later he writes :
"I feel very weak; my left eye is totally paralyzed, and the
sight is gone. The winter has been a severe one; never
have we had such weather since I first came to St. Louis;
fogs, snows, and unprecedented cold. Old and full of
infirmities, I await with resignation my last hour. Expecto
donee vmiat immutatio mea." 87 He was so low at one

one is as good as the other. You say that in Europe you wonder which
will be victorious. The individual majority favor Grecley, but Grant's
party has the money, which is used unstintingly to assure his reelection.
You can count upon his victory as assured; and once in it will be difficult
to get him out of the White House, Grant is a Methodist, a man of no
particular merit, the tool and humble servant of the radical party just as
William of Prussia is the tool of Bismarck." (To Emile de Meren, St.
Louis, Sept. 6, 1873.)

In regard to Grant's sectarian policy, see Claudio Jannet, '* Les Etats-Unis
Contcmporams," Paris, 1877, Vol. II, p. 66.

*To Leon Van Mossevelde.

The Province of Missouri to-day numbers nearly 900 religious. It
possesses a dozen colleges, eight residences, and a mission in British Honduras.

* To Father Deynoodt, Dec. 10, 187$.

384 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

time that the Last Sacraments were administered, but the
crisis passed and he once more took hope.

For two years the Sioux had been expecting him to come
and found a mission, and in October a deputation of chiefs
arrived to remind him of his promise. On February iSth
he wrote to the Catholic agent at Grand River, "I hope
the approaching spring may be of some service in regaining
my lost strength and general health. In regard to my
prospects of seeing the Indians in the spring later, it is
difficult to determine beforehand and under my present
dispositions. Should there be any -prospect on my part,
I shall certainly inform you in due time." A month later
he wrote him again: "Captain La Barge's boat (Dc Snict)
is advertised for Benton, and will leave St. Louis on the
1 2th of April. My room is kept ready and at my disposal.
Should my health permit I shall gladly undertake the
trip. I had of late a very severe attack of sickness, I am
again convalescent and in good hope." 38

Those who saw the old man daily did not share his
illusions. He could scarcely get out of a carriage, and
himself acknowledged "that since his return from Belgium
he had aged ten years." 39 He soon realized he must
abandon all hope of leaving St. Louis. His heart was
crushed with disappointment, and in the following words he
assures the Sioux of his prayers and that he will always
keep them in mind. To their agent he wrote: "I sym-
pathize sincerely with my good Indian friends, who have
been very severely visited by sickness this last winter and
'lost many of their dear children. I pray for them daily
that the Lord may have pity on them and take them under
His holy protection." It was the old missionary's last
farewell to those he had loved so dearly.

The spring that year was backward. In the middle of
May a succession of hurricanes and thunder-storms bat-
tered the windows of the University; torrents of rain and
hail fell from a lowering sky. The cold was so intense
that in many places travelers perished from it. Such
weather was very trying for the invalid. "For seven
months," he writes his family, "I have been sitting in the

38 To Major O'Connor, March 24, 1873.

* 9 To Charles and Rosalie Van Mosseveide, Feb. 14, 1873,

THIS STATUE ERECTED IN HONOR OP PATHEA
DI2 SMKT AT TKKMONDE, HIS BIRTHPLACE

HIS RELIGIOUS VIRTUES 385

chimney-corner, and I find my fire an agreeable companion.
Since all things change in this world, I still hope for fine
weather, and I shall enjoy it when it comes. The next
time I write I hope to give you more reassuring news." 40<

But this letter, alas! was the last news he gave his
family. It seemed as though he had a presentiment that
this was his farewell, for he had never been more af-
fectionate. "The -devoted and fraternal sentiments you
constantly express in your letters have touched me deeply.
I am most grateful. Let me now speak openly. In my
present condition the great project which was often the
subject of our conversation continues to allure me; 41 but I
fear it is but a chdteau en Espagne, for the reason that I am
not equal to the journey. In the meanwhile ask God that.
His holy will, and that alone, may be accomplished."
Then alluding to a stanza that his sister Rosalie, then
seventy-six years of age, had sent him, he essayed a reply in
rhyme. This innocent badinage shows at least with what
serenity he saw the close of his life approaching.

A last act of kindness and consideration for others pre-
cipitated his end. His intimate friend, Captain La Barge,
was about to launch a new steamboat on the Missouri,
and asked Father De Smet to bless it. Not wishing to
refuse the request of one who had so often obliged him in
his visits to the Indians, he accepted, and the ceremony
took place on May i3th. That evening he felt much
worse. The next day, after saying Mass, he said to the
server: "This is the end. I shall never again ascend the
altar/ 1

The last attack was of unusual severity. Finally a pain-
ful operation was performed. It gave relief, but his weak-
ness increased daily. On the 2oth he asked for the Last
Sacraments and received them once more with touching
piety and perfect resignation. From that time, we are
told, 42 he seemed oblivious of earth and thought only of
eternity.

" During his life he was not exempt from the fear of

* To Charles and Rosalie Van Mossevelde, May 4, 1873.
ft The project referred to was the institution M. Van Mossevelde thought
of founding at his country-place, Saint-Gilles. See p. 373.
** Fathers O'Neil and De Blieck,

3 86 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S.J.

death; but at the end his fears vanished." 43 If he ceased
praying it was but to speak of God's goodness and infinite
mercy. He found consolation in the thought of the hun-
dreds of little children he had baptized, who were now
praying for him in heaven.

"When I saw Father De Smet last, on Wednesday, the
2ist of May, two days before his death," said Bishop Ryan,
Coadjutor of St. Louis, "I found him full of courage and
hope. He said to me: 'I have served the good God for
many years; I am going to come before Him pretty soon,
and my heart is very full of confidence and real consolation.
I have the greatest hope/ he said further, 'in the efficacy of
the prayers of all to whom the Lord sent me in times past;
I count especially on the merits of Jesus Christ, poor sin-
ner that I am, and I love to think that the Lord will
have pity on me in my hour of agony/" 44

During the nights of the 22d and 23d it was evident
that the end was at hand, and final absolution was given
with plenary indulgence in articulo mortis. Up to the last
moment he retained full use of his faculties, and he was
calm and seemed not to staffer. At a quarter past two
on the morning of the feast of the Ascension he rendered
up his soul to Him whom he had ardently loved and for
whose glory he had labored for fifty years.

The news of Ms death caused universal sorrow, News-
papers of every shade of opinion outrivaled each other in
praise of the missionary. The Missouri RefntHican said:
"In him the world loses one of the most intrepid pioneers
of Christian civilization. If he did not accomplish all
that he believed possible, he at least gave an example of
what a profound conviction can do in the struggle against
insurmountable obstacles." 45

The funeral took place on May 24th in St. Francis
Xavier's church. In the center of the nave stood the
catafalque, draped in black and covered with flowers,
The upper part of the body could be seen through the
coffin lid; over his head had been placed a wreath of white

48 Father Coosemans' letter to M. Van Mossevekle, Chicago, June i

44 Funeral Oration over Father De Smet.

45 Issue of May 24, 1873.

HIS DEATH 387

roses. From early morning, crowds pressed around the
precious remains, eager to look for the last time on the
apostle of the Indians, who even in death wore his kindly
smile*

What a striking contrast to the life of this humble man
was his funeral, worthy of a prince of the Church! The
aged Archbishop of St. Louis, Mgr. Kenrick, assisted by his
coadjutor, presided. With the clergy from the different
parishes mingled secular and regular priests, come. from
Chicago and Cincinnati to attend. The army was repre-
sented by three generals, General Harney being one, and
by a large number of other officers. After the solemn
High Mass celebrated by Father Van Assche, Bishop Ryan
gave the absolution, and mounting the pulpit preached
the funeral oration over the departed missionary.

Comparing Father De Smet to the great priest Onias, he
applied to him the words of the sacred book of Machabees:
"That truly good and gentle man, so modest in his counte-
nance, so regular and moderate in his ways, so agreeable
In his speech and who had practiced all kinds of virtues
from his youth up. 4ft Such were the eminent qualities of
that Onias, high priest of Judea, whom the Jews so bitterly
bewailed and whose loss was regretted by even Antiochus
himself, mindful of the amenity of character of the great
priest and of the upright life he had led. These words,
my brethren, are admirably suited to the apostolic man
whose mortal remains are here exposed to your view before
the holy altar.

"Despite the luster which his apostolic labors shed over
his person, and all the meritorious work which marked his
Ufa, this man of God displayed in all his conduct the
simplicity of a child; he was kindly, candid, modest, and
even showed the timidity of tender years, and the language
of Tertullian may be applied to him, which he was wont
to use in speaking of the old servants of Christ in his time:
'They are old men, but at the same time they have the
graces and simplicity of youth. The purity of their lives
and the deanliness and uprightness of their souls enable

* $t Virum bonum et bwignum, vertcutidum vi$u, modestum moribus, et
decorum, el qui a puero in virtutibus excrcitatus sit." (# Mach.

3 88 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, S. J.

,them to preserve to the close of their lives the springtime
freshness of their earlier years.' Such was our regretted
and venerable friend; he was at the evening of his life
what he had been at the dawn of his career and at the noon-
day of manhood. It was his rare qualities of rectitude and
simplicity that won him the confidence of so many friends,
and it was the support of this confidence, with God's help,
that enabled him to effect such great things. " 47

After recalling thus Father De Smet's characteristic
virtues, Bishop Ryan spoke at length of his love for the
Indians and his devotion to their cause. Although hastily
prepared, his discourse vibrated with emotion and pro-
foundly impressed his audience. Sobs resounded through
the church and sorrow bowed every head.

The remains were taken to Florissant for burial in a
modest enclosure where Fathers Van Quickenborne, Do
Theux, Elet, Van de Velde, Smedts, and Verhaegen were
sleeping their last sleep. After so many years of arduous
travel, the heroic old missionary had come to seek his
long rest near his novitiate, beside those who had been
his Superiors, his friends, and his fellow-workers.

A few days later, the n6w steamboat that Father De
Smet had blessed shortly before his death sailed up the
Missouri. When the De Smet arrived in the Indian
country, the redskins, having learned of the Black Robe's
death, flocked to the landings, emitting wails of grief, and
covering their heads with dust. "Not only the Christians/'
writes Father Guidi, "but pagans as well wept over the
loss of their beloved Father, and many Indians regard his
loss as a calamity to their tribe, which alas! is but too
true! 1 ' 48

But great as was his loss, Father De Smet's work was
still to survive. Without counting the Franciscans,
Oblates, and secular missionaries, thirty Jesuits were in
charge of seven flourishing foundations in the Rocky
Mountains. 49

47 Chittenden-Richardson.

48 To Father Adolph Petit, rector of TroncMennes, Colville, Oct.,

49 The following is a list of the foundations:

St. Mary's Mission among the Flatheads. This mission,, founded in
was attached to St. Ignatius' Mission in

HIS DEATH 389

Twenty years later in Montana alone the Catholics
resident in the nine missions numbered seven thousand.
If lately, progress has been less marked, it is because the
race, being more and more confined to restricted reserva-
tions, has declined. The Coeur d'Alnes, now reduced to
a few hundreds, have remained a saintly tribe, among
whom a priest can hear confessions for years without ever
having to absolve a single mortal sin. The Sioux, for
whose conversion Father De Smet labored twenty-five
years, have several missions in South Dakota, and have
become as strong Christians as they were formerly ter-
rifying warriors. Even in Alaska the Indians have re-
ceived the Gospel, and among those who have been at-
tracted to this fruitful apostolate, many have acknowledged
that Father De Smet's example decided their vocation.

Thus the missionary's work lives after him, 50 and al-
though he was powerless to prevent the extermination of

St. Ignatius 1 Mission among the Pend d'Oreilles ,or KaKspels.

The Sacred Heart Mission amon the Coeur d'Al&ies.

The St. Paul Mission at Colville on the Columbia.

St. Peter's Mission among the Blackfeet on the Upper Missouri. .

St. Joseph's Mission among the Yakimas, in the State of Oregon.

The Mission of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, at Helena.

To these missions were attached other less important posts established
sirnong the different tribes, notably those for the Spokanes and Kootenais.

In 1884, Senator George Vest informed the Senate in full session of the
growing prosperity of these missions: "I can assert that nowhere in the
United States have such satisfactory results been obtained as in the Jesuit
Missions. . . . The girls are taught needlework; they are taught to sew and
teach; they are taught music; they are taught to keep house. The young
men are taught to work upon the farm, to herd cattle, to be blacksmiths,
carpenters, and millwrights. ... I do not speak with any sort of denomina-
tional prejudice in favor of the Jesuits. I was taught to abhor the whole
sect, I was raised in that good, old-school Presbyterian church that looked
upon a Jesuit as very much akin to the devil, . . . but I defy any one to
find me a single tribe of Indians on the plains blanket Indians that
.approximate, in civilia&tion, to the Flatheads, who have been under the
control of the Jesuits for fifty years. I say that out of eleven tribes that
I saw, and I say this as a Protestant where they had had Protestant mis-
sionaries, they had not made a single solitary advance toward civilization,
not one; yet among the Flathcads, where there were two Jesuit Missions,
you find farms, you find civilization, you find Christianity, you find the
relation of husband and wife and of father and child scrupulously observed/'
(Speech of George Vest before the Senate of the United States, May 12, 1884.)

M The Rocky Mountain Missions, with those of Dakota and southern
Alaska, form to-day a part of the California Province, founded in 1909.
Of the four hundred members composing the Province, over one hundred
devote their lives to the apostolate of the Indians*

390 THE LIFE OF FATHER DE SMET, SJ.

the Western tribes in the United States, he procured for
the Indians in the bosom of the Catholic Church the
assurance of a better life and of a kingdom that could not
be taken from them through the injustice of men. 51

51 At Termonde on Sept. 23, 1878, was unveiled a statue erected by the
Belgians to the apostle of the Rocky Mountains. Many civil and ecclesias-
tical notables were present. Father Charles Verbcke of the Society of
Jesus pronounced an eloquent panegyric, followed by a cantata, the work
of the illustrious composer, Edgar Tinel. (See the Precis Historigues*
1878, p. 699, et seq.)

This monument stands in the center of a square beside Notre Darne Col-
lege. The sculptor, Fraikin, has represented the missionary holding in
one hand a crucifix and in the other an olive branch. On the pedestal is
the following inscription:

PETRUS JOHANNES DE ' SMET

E SOCIETATE - JESU

PERPETUITATE LAUDIS * VIVET

QUOD XXX ANNORUM LABORIBUS

INDOS ULTRA MONTES SAXOSOS
A - -BARBARIE - AD RELIGIONEM C1VILKJIO.UB
TRADUXIT

PRINCIPAL AUTHORITIES CONSULTED

DE SMET, Voyages aux Montagnes-Rocheuses, et une annee de sejour chez
les Tribus Indiennes du vaste Territoire de I* Oregon, dependant des
Etats-Unis d'Amerique. in-12. Malines, 1844.

Missions de I'Or&gon, et Voyages aux Montagnes-Rocheuses, aux
Sources de la Colombie, de I' Athabasca et du Sascatshawin, en 184.5-1846.
in-i2. Ghent, 1848.

Lettres choisies (1849-1873). 4 vol. in 8. Bruxelles, 1875-1878.
(Edition published by Father Deynoodt.)
Linton Album (St. Louis University).

CHITTENDEN AND RICHARDSON, Father De Smet's Life, Letters, and Travels
among the North American Indians. 4 vols. New York, 1905.

JOHN GILMARY SHEA, History of the Catholic Missions among the Indian
Tribes of the United States (jtf*0-j54E). New York, 1855.

A History of the Catholic Church in the United States. 2 vols. New-
York, 1890, 1892.

THOMAS HUGHES, S. J., History of the Society of Jesus in North America.
London, 1910.

MARSHALL, Christian Missions, their Agents and their Results. 2 vols.
London, 1863.

The same work. French translation with supplement by Louis
de Waziers. 2 vols, Paris, 1865.

BANCROFT, History of the United States. 8 vols. London, 1861.

PALLADINO, S. J., Indian and White in the Northwest, or a History of Catholic-
ity in Montana. Baltimore, 1894.

W. HiLL, S. J., Historical Sketch of the St. Louis University, St. Louis, 1879.

G. KURTH, Sitting Bull. (Extract of the Revue Generate.) Braxelles, 1879.

HELEN HUNT JACKSON, A Century of Dishonor, a Sketch of the United States
Government's dealings with some of the Indian Tribes. Boston, 1909.

G. CATLIN, Illustration of the Manners, Costumes, and Condition of the North
American Indians. 2 vols. London, 1845.

BAUNARD, Histoire de Madam Duchesne. in-12. Paris, 1901.

Annales de la Propagation de la Foi.

Missions Catholiques.

The Woodstock Letters.

INDEX

Accidents, The year of, 227

Accolti, Father, 171, 192, 201, 243

Account of first Provincial Council of
Baltimore (foot-note), 50

Agenoria, the Brig, 68

Album, The Linton, 377

Alleghany Mountains, 23

Alost, College of, 10, 11; Father De
Smet at, 72

Altham and White, Fathers, among
the Indians, 24

American Board of Foreign Missions,
101

American Fur Co., 225

Americans in general not a party to
Indian injustice (foot-note), 320

America, Society of Jesus re-estab-
^lished in, 14; immigration of
priests to, 25

Amsterdam, Father Nerinckxin, 16;
Peter De Smet and companions
reach, 17; Charles De Smet fol-
lows his brother to, 18

Antwerp, Father De Smet accom-
panies seven missionaries to, 72

Apostle of the Rocky Mountains, 95

Archbishop Hughes and the Emi-
grants' Savings Bank, 258

Arkansas, Territory in, set apart for
the Indians, 78

Assiniboin chief, Tchatka, the, 294

Assiniboins of the Forest, 183

Assumption* Mission of the, 174

Athabasca, 187; Fort Assiniboin on
the, J8B

Atrocities committed against the
Indians, 272, 373

Attacks on Catholicism in St. Louis,
262

Ayonais, 53

Badin, Father, 13

Bad Lands route to the Sioux, 208

Baltimore, Lord : 24, 3*8

Baltimore an episcopal see, 25; John
Carroll, first Bishop of, 25; nov-
ices leave, 32; nrst Provincial
Council of (foot-note), 50; second
Council of, 62; seventh Council of,
3*5; eighth Council of, 255;
26

Archbishop of, proposes Father De
Smet as representative, 363

Bapst, Father, 265

Barat, Madam, 38, 51

Barrens, Sisters of Loretto at, 42

Bax, Father, missionary to the
Osages, 222; death of, 223, 317

Bay, Pend d'Oreilles of the (foot-note),
136

Beatification of Blessed Peter Cani-
sius, 331

Beckx, Father, successor to Father
Rpothaan, 268

Bedini, Archbishop, Papal Nuncio, 263

Beirvelde, 9; preparatory seminary
of St. Nicolas at, 10

Belgian Legation, Father De Smet
and the, 302

Belgium to France, Decree to annex
(foot-note), 3; a part of the Low
Countries, 17; province of, 67

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
given for the first time in St.
Louis by a Jesuit, 35

Benton, Conversion of Randolph, 260

Big Face, chief of Flatheads, to
Father De Smet, 112; named Paul
in baptism, 124; Victor succeeds
him, 132; holy death of, 135

Bishop Ryan's Panegyric on Father
De Smet, 387

Bitter Root River, 125

Blackfeet, country of the, 113; dan-
ger in vicinity of, 115; band of,
follows Father De Smet, 116; chief
of, tests Father De Smet's courage,
117; harass Flatheads, 179; St.
Mary's Mission frequently at-
tacked by, 179; meet the mis-
sionary, 185; pagan sacrifices of,
199; Father Adrian Hoecken
founds a mission for, 282; Sisters
of Charity among the, 360

Black Hawk, Chief, 320

Black Hills, Name of "De Smet"
given to richest mine in the (foot-
note), 320

Black Moon, Chief, 351

Black Robe, Pawnee Loupsaskfor, 86;
the French, n6; "the great, 11 117

394

INDEX

Blanchet, Rev. F. N., appointed

Vicar General, 147; meeting be-

tween Father De Smet and, 148;

made Bishop of Oregon, 156, 192;

hastens to Vancouver to greet

Father De Smet, 162
Blessed Virgin appears to children,

124, 130; Society of, among the

Flatheads, 133
Boat Encampment on the Columbia,

I 8o jo i
Boernstein 262

Boeteman/Father, at Turahout, 374
Bois-le-duc, Seminary of , 73; diocese

O f !7
Bolduc, Father, opens St. Joseph's

College 163
Bossuet maxim of, 28
Bouchard, Rev. Jacques, 217, 218;

ordained priest, 219; appointed to

San Francisco Mission, 219; Kis-

talwa, father of, 217; Marie, 217
Bourassa, Father, 187
Brabant, Father Smarius of, 256
Brabant, Herffelingen near, birth-

place of Rev. Charles Nerinckx,

12
Breda, Seminary of, 73; diocese of,

Brief of Clement XIV, 25

Brig Agenoria, The, 68

Brigham Young defies United States

Government, 269
British Columbia, formerly New

Caledonia, 171

Brondel of Helena, Bishop, 248
Brown, Mount, 188
Brownson, the writer, 255
"Bruges-la-Morte," 2
Bueten, Father John, 17, 21
Butler, General, on Protestant chap-

lains, 306
Buydens, Marie Jeanne, mother of

the missionary, 4; children of, 5;

death of, 6

Caldwell, WilKam, half-breed chief of

Patawatomies, 82
Cambon, Deputy (foot-note),
Campaign against Indians,

326
Campbell, V, H., Letter to, about

gold-mines (footnote), 320
Canadian Catholic, The old, 328
Canadians, Father Vercruysse founds

new parish for, 171
Canisius, Blessed Peter, Beatification

of, 331

Cannonball River, 349
Carbonari, The, 262
Carleton, General, on Cheyenne mas-

sacre, 339

Carmelites of Termonde, 71

Carroll, Bishop, 13, 25; petitions to

have the Jesuits in his diocese, 25;

Archbishop 248
Caruana, Father, 314 _
Cataldo, Father, testimony of, con-

cerning Indian missions, 244
Catholic Church at Vancouver, 147;

at Willamette, 147, 148; at

Cowlitz, 147 ^

Catholic college near St. Louis, 58;

State of Missouri bestows title of

University on 60
Caughnawaga Mission, Catholic Iro-

quois leave, 9$
Cephren and Cheop?, 181
Chaudidre or Kettle Indians, 144
Cherokccs on Indian Territory, 96
Chickasaws on Indian Territory, 97
Chivington, Colonel, massacres Chcy-

ennes r 339
Chouteau, Charles, 310

S hr ? st ,S n v . illa ? e ' $ u . ns /f' 55
Civil War m the Unity*! States, zyp;

Missouri on the dividing line in

the, 300

Claessens, Brother \ft tKiam, xax, 141
Clarke and Lewis, first white men t>

explore country of Platht'a*!*, 07
Clarke, Major, reports on Catholic

schools f Aw/- note), jt J2
Clement XIV, Bru>f 0f, 25
Cocur d*Alncft, indents of v",>nv?r-

sion of, 142; 8anv.i Hrari nii-;-

sion among tht% 165; L^ait* 1 Si^-

houin, tlau^htyr of a ohu*f <>!*. l{^;

Father RavaHi g<>t^ t< the ntiwm

of, 246; addrosA the Hnly Father,

367; Holy Father f*wh Uv^;ix

to, 370

College, The Indian, 5<>
Columbia River, 97; Furl CuXviHt* on

the, 136; i*ata$trojhtf >*n tb^ f 145;

danger of vntry ito th*% I*HS

range sttj*aratin^ thr S;tkat<;h^wan

from, 185; Biat Ksjrasjimvnt on

the, i8o IQI

Co/wmWa, th<% 32; at Phftrittythta, .?
Colvil!i Ajtncy i/in^wolr 1 ), ytw
Concwago, Potvr Ut.* Smvi arrive,'; at,

32

Congiato, Father, an*i, a^J, ^
Contioh, 19

Convention of Randolph Fknfrn, *fiO
Convert*, Naming of hulusi,
Coundl Bluffji, c*mp f*f

tonmics near, #o ^H, xi&
Council of Fort Lftrwnk*,

335; concluded, 237; how

334; of Baltimore, firm Pi

(/cxrf-n^e), 50; second, 6j;

enth, 2^5; tighth, 255

INDEX

395

Cowlitz, Catholic Church at, 147
Cox, Mr., trader, speaks of honesty

of Flatheads, 98

Cranincx, Dr., professor at Univer-
sity of Louvain, 1 1 ; assists Father
De Smet, 16

Creeks on Indian Territory, 97
Crows allied to the Flatheads, 131

(foot-note), 149
Cross of Peace, The, 182
Custer, Massacre of General, 366

Dakotas or Sioux, 209

Dalles, Indians of the Great, 193

Damen, Arnold, 74, 256

Dardenne, village of, 50

Daughter of Red Fish, The, 210

De Br6beuf, Father, and his com-
panions, 24

Dedication of mountain to St.
Ignatius, in

De la Croix, Rev. Charles, 35; at
Florissant, 49 ; description of (foot-
note) , 49; at St. Louis College, 59;
appointed Superior of Missouri
Mission, 60

Delano, Secretary of the Interior,, 363

Delauneau, first teacher of mission-
ary, 7

Delawares, Kistalwa, chief of, 217

De Maillot, Francis, 15, 40

De Maistre, Joseph, 96

Demers, Rev* Modeste, 147, 171

De Meyer, Brother Peter, 31

DC Neckere, Bishop, succeeds Bish-
op Dubourg (foot-note), 58

De Nef, Mr. P., of Turnhout, 16, 63;
death of, 167

DC Ram, Mgr., 12, 17, 65

Do Saegher, Colette, 5

Desgenettes, Father, 203

De Smet, family of, 2 ; Jean Baptiste,
4; Joost, 2; marriage of, 2; tamily
record, of, 5; John, 2; Rosalie,
Francis and Charles, 5; death of
Charles, 292

DC Smet, Father Poter, birth -of, 5;
dubbed " Samson " because of great
strength, 7, 39; boyhood of, 8-12;
Father Nerinckx and, 12-15, 331
on his way to America, 16-22;
at Baltimore, Georgetown, White-
marsh, 23, 26; apostle of the Ros-
ary, 29; Florissant, 31, 56; first
vows, 40; and Father Do Theux,
*A\ receives Holy Orders, 46;
difficulties of, 48, 50; and Madam
Duchesne, 51; near St. Louis, 59;
in Belgium 62, 65; sickness of,
return to United States,
71; severs connection with
rty, 71; activities of, 71-74;

again in America, 74; rejoins So-
ciety, 75; at Potawatomies, 80, 82,
90; Otoes, 81; fights sale of liquor
to Indians, 92; apostle of the
Rocky Mountains, 95, 121; at
Flatheads, 108-112; at Crows, 113;
hostile Blackfeet follow, 116; down
Missouri River, 118; at Fort Col-
ville, 136; at Fort Vancouver, 142;
at Cceur d'Alenes, 143; method of
teaching, 144; on the Columbia,
145; at Fort Union, 151; back to
St. Louis, 152; begging tour in
United States, 153; in Europe, 154;
in Rome, 155, 156; in United
States, 158; at Valparaiso, Callao,
Santiago, and Lima, 160; at dif-
ferent missions, 165-176; converts
would-be murderers, 178; pacifies
Blackfeet, 180; difficult journeys,
181-190; to Europe with Father
Elet, 202; in St. Louis, 207; in
Sioux country, 207-210; work
suspended, 213; appointed Vice-
Provincial, 214; Colonel Mitchell
asks cooperation of in Great
Council, 229; sad journey to Fort
Laramie, 231; treaty of Fort
Laramie, 237; years of trial, 239;
to leave America, 250; care for
emigrants, 257; again declines
episcopate, 266; chaplain to the
soldiers, 217; pacifies tribes, 270-
278; visits " reductions," 280-284;
death of his brother Charles, 292;
wreck of Humboldt, 297; defends
his writings, 303; in Oregon, 313-
316; mediates with Sioux, 326-
330; in Europe, 331 ; knight of the
order of Leopold, 333; again re-
fuses bishopric, 334; pacifier of
tribes, 339-349; given title of
"Major, 342; ovation at Fort
Rice, 357; Grant's Indian Peace
Policy, 362; last journey to Bel-
gium, 372; serious illness, 373; at
St. Louis, 374; lovable character-
istics, and devotions of, 375-381;
blesses the De Smet, 384; death of,
386; grief of Indians over, 388;
statue unveiled at Termonde, 390

De Smet, mines in the Black Hills
(foot-note), 320

De Theux, Rev. Theodore, 42;
sketch of, 43; assistant at St.
Charles, 49; death of, 202

De Velder, Jean Baptiste, the old
grenadier, 107 (footnote), 118

De Vos, Rev. Peter, 72, 87, 93*. ap-
pointed Superior in Father Be
Smet's absence, 153, 171, 192, *435
death of, 317

396

INDEX

Devotions in the Rocky Mountains,

135

Discovery of gold and what it meant

to the Indians, 271
Drink Question among the Indians,

84, 91

Dubourg, Bishop, sketch of (foot-
note), 30; receives first Jesuit
novices, 35; head of Georgetown
College, 30; death of (foot-note), 58
Duchesne, Madam, 38, 220, 249
Duerinck, Father, 221; death of, 3*7
Duerinck, Marie Jeanne, 2 ; children

of, 5

Dumortier, Father, 221
Dzierozynski, Father, 43, 58

Eagle Head, Speech of, 237

Edmonton, Fort, on the Saskat-
chewan, 187, 189

Eighth Provincial Council of Balti-
more, 255

Elet, John Anthony, 15, 17; receives
Holy Orders at Florissant, 46;
assistant at St. Charles, 49; goes to
Europe with Father De Smet, 202;
at St. Louis College, 59; Vice-
Provincial, 213; death of, 248

Elet, Rev. Charles, 206

Emigrant ships, 257

Enghien, 66

Everberg-Meerbeke, Father Nerinckx
curate of, 12

Faith, Society for the Propagation of
the, 37

Father of Waters, MeschacSbS,, 34

First Provincial Council of Baltimore
(foot-note), 50

Flatheads, belong to the Sa'lish-an
stock (foot-note), 97; origin of
name unknown (foot-note), 97;
faith of the, 99, 108; Father DC
Smet is sent to the, 103; Big Face,
chief of r 112; St. Mary's Mission
started among, 126; Victor, chief
of, 132; Society of the Sacred
Heart, 132; of the Blessed Virgin,
133; Blackfeet harass, 179, (See
St. Mary's Mission.)

Floating Monastery, The, 33

Florissant, Jesuit mission at, 35;
novices make first vows at, 40;
Bishop Rosati confers Holy Orders
at, 46; school for Indian pupils at,
53, 54, 55

Fort Alexander, 234; Assinboin on
the Athabasca, 188; Benton, 384;
Father Giorada at, 311; Colville
on the Columbia River, 136, 140,
274; Edmonton, 187, 189; Jasper,
1 88; Laramie, council of, 229, 334,

235 237, 324; Leavenworth, 270;

Lookout, 200; Pierre, 115, 117;

Rice, 348; Union, 115, 151, 233;

Vancouver, 142; Vermillion, 117.
French Jesuits, Influence of, 98
Funeral of Father De Smet, 386

Gabriel the half-breed, 151

Gaillard, Father, 221

Gallitzin, Madam, 220

Gaucher, Peter, 102

Gazzoli, Rev. Gregory (foot-note), 193,

*94 3U

General Butler on Protestant Chap-
lains, 306
Georgetown (foot-natr), De Smet goes

to, 23; first Jesuit college at, 26;

Bishop Dubourg head of (foot-note) r

30

Ghent, Peteghem in, 26
Giorda, Father, at Fort Benton, 311
Gleizal, Father, 74
Goetz, Rev. Anthony (foot-note), 193
Gold, discovery of, 27:; Father lie

Smet's knowledge uf hitMcn, 320
Government Agents, Complaints of

Indians against, 342; Brigham

Young defies UniteJ States, 269;

Grant to Potawatonrit*, 91
Grand Coteau, Father Pwint

college at, 120

Grant's Indian Peace Ft*lic}% j
Grassi, Father, 4.H, 314, .^15
Great Dalit**, IniSians *f the, j
Gregory XVI an^l leather J) S

156
Gruber, Father, Superior of

in Russia, 25
Guidi, Father, 372

Harncy, General,
against Murmons, -*^ f 275, ^79;
on Peace Coromi';.sir,n, JUH

Helena, Bishop Brunti!*! of, x+ti

Heusclen, Jean Baptl;te De Smtrt
parish pnest pf , 4

Hoocken, Father Adrian, f* unls mvv
aion fur th<? Biarkfn*t f sti*

Hoccken, Father Cisns-tijin, ar^
the Kickapoos, 78; at the
tomi mission 1 9$; in the IR n
^S3 75 *<^: at Sugar
220; at the Sioux, aaj; ;-start'i t*x
Fort Laraniie, jo; iJvrith m
t>oanl the *SV. An&e t s$ i

Holland, Hcnttiiity c^f Pr>fx^tanl 17

Holy Sacrifice, l*Htin c*f th% 107

Hudson Bay Company, 146

Huet, Brother, 67. 121, 14(1

Hughes* Hinhop, 154, 25^

Humboldt, Aboard the, ^97

Hunkpapos, 349

INDEX

397

Ignace, chief of the Yakimas, 367

Ignatius, "Young," 99, 102, 103, 123;
"old," 99; death of, 101

Illinois, 24

Imoda, Father, 311

Indian Affairs, Colonel Mitchell
Superintendent of, 229

Indian College, The, 50

Indian Peace Policy, Grant's, 362;
pupils, school for, 53; school,
United States grants subsidy to,
52, 54; territory, in Arkansas, 78;
old Kalispel, 139

Indians, reject Protestant ministers,
52; land, seizure of, 319; de-
crease 100,000 in population in
ten years, 323; cost of campaign
against, 326; tribes of: Abenaki,
Iroqupis, Hurons, Blackfeet, Crows,
Assiniboins, Grosventres, Flat-
heads, Pend d'Oreilles or Kalispels,
Cceur d f Alenes, Chandieres or
Kettles, Spokanes, Kootenais, Nez
Perces, Ampajoots (Yampah Utes),
Mandans, Pawnees, Sioux, Chey-
ennes, Okinagans, Sinpoils, Zin-
gomenes, Flatbows, Aricaras, Crees,
Santees, Yanktons, Poncas, Brul6s,
Ogallalas, Omahas, Peorias, Mia-
mis, Palooses, Senecas, Creeks, and
Yakimas

InfatigaUe, Aboard the, 158

lowas, 78

Iron Shield, chief of Miniconjous, 344

Iroquois, 98

Island, Texel, 20, 23

Isle of Re", 4

Isthmus of Panama, 275

Italy and Switzerland, Jesuits from,2O7

Jackson, President, 55

jasper, Fort, 1 88

Jesuits, the English, 24; in Russia,
25; from Switzerland and Italy, 207

Jogues, Father, 24

Joset, Father, 157, 194, 240

T< Journeys to the Rocky Moun-
tains/ publication of, 203

Judith River, 197

Kalispel Lake, 138

Kalispels or Pend d'Oreilles, 106, 131

Kansas City (Westport), 121

Keamy, Colonel, 82

Kenrick, Archbishop, 259

Kentucky Missions, 13

Kickapoos, 78, 79, 97

King William, Favorites of, 17, 22

Kistalwa, Delaware chief, 217

Know-Nothings, 263

Kohltnann, Rev. Anthony, 14, 23

Kossuth, 262

La Barge, Captain, 230

Ladies of the Sacred Heart, Madam
Duchesne, Superior of, 37, 51, 53,
220

Lalemant, Father, and his com-
panions, 24

La Mousse, Ignatius, 98

Land Policy of the United States
Government, 55

Lany, Bishop, of Santa Fe*, 268

Laramie, Council of Fort, 229, 234,
235, 237, 324

Latter-Day Saints, 269

Legation, Belgian, 302

Leopold II, 226

Lewis and Clarke, first white men to
explore country of Flatheads, 97

Lincoln, President, 302

Linton, Album, 377; Doctor, pro-
fessor at St. Louis University, 377

Loretto, Father Nerinckx and Sisters

of, 33
Louvain, University of, n f 12

Mackenzie River, 187

Major, Father De Smet given title

Marshal, Archbishop, 12, 23, 43
Marquette, Father, 24, 328
Maryland Province, 14
Massacre, the Cheyenne, 339; the

Custer, 366
Mazelli, Brother, 80
Mazzini, 264

McGean, Brother (foot-note), 157
McLoughlin, John, 146
Mechlin, if, 12, 15, 55, 65
Meerbeke, Everberg-, 12
Me'ne'trey, Rev. Joseph (foot-note),

193
Mengarini, Rev. Gregory, appointed

to Rocky Mountain Missions, 119;

sketch of, 120, 149, 169, 196, 243,

246

Meschac6b4 the Father of Waters, 34
Method of teaching the tribes their

prayers, 144
Miege, Father, 223; made Bishop,

240
Miniconjous, Gen. Shield, chief of,

344

Ministers, Protestant, interfere with
work, 48; Indians reject, 52

Mission, Jesuit, at Florissant, 35;
of the Assumption, 174; of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, 180

Missions, American, 24; founded by
Father De Smet (foot-note), 388

Missoula, town of, 125

Missouri, Description of cyclone in,
12 1; on the dividing line in the
Civil War, 300

398

INDEX

Missouri River explored, 24, 118
Mitchell, Colonel, Superintendent of

Indian Affairs, 229
Molyneux, Father, 26
Monotowan, the "white gazelle,"

217

Montez, Lola, 262
Moon, Chief Black, 351
Mount Brown, 188
Mountains, Teton (foot-note), no
Movement, Oxford, 255
Muratori Relation, 127
Murphy, Father, 251

Natchez; 24
Nathon, Father, 265
Neale, Rev. Charles, 30
Nebraska River, Platte or, 104
Neosho, St. Francis Nieronymo on

the, 222
Nerinckx, Abb6 John, brother of

Rev. Charles, 69
Nerinckx, Rev. Charles, > 12, 13;

founds Congregation Sisters of

Loretto, 13; declines bishopric, 13,

14, 22, 23, 33, 42
New Caledonia (British Columbia)

Mission, Father Point at, 171, 192;

Father Demers at, 171
."New Indian Sketches, 11 publication

of, 303

New Orleans, 13
Nez Percys, Catholic tribe of, given

to the Presbyterians, 365; origin

of name unknown (foot-note), 97
Nicolas, St., preparatory Seminary

of, 10, 1 6

Nicollet, Mr., scientist, 89
Niobrara, home of the Poncas, 208
Nobili, Father, 171, 173, 192, 317
No Neck, chief, 351
North America, Sioux most powerful

tribe of, 209
Notre Dame de Namur, Sisters of,

I57 192
Notre Dame des Victoires, Cathedral

Of, 202

O'Connell, Daniel, 154

Ogallalas, 348

Ohio, famous Falls of the, 33

Okinagans, 144

"Oregon Missions," publication of

the, 203

Oregon Territory, 146
Origin of names of Flatheads and

Nez Percys unknown (foot-note), 97
Osages retire to Indian Territory, 55.

78, 222; cede 29,000,000 acres of
, land, 320; Father De Smet secures
^ subsidies for, 301
)toes, 81

Pagan sacrifices of Blackfcet, 199
Palooses, 274
Panama, Isthmus of, 275
Pananniapapi, chief of the Yanktons,

337 342

Panegyric of Bishop Ryan, 387
Papagos, Agency ot (foot-note), 363
Papal Nuncio to Brazil, Attacks on,

263
Paraguay/' Reductions " (foot-note),

126

Parker, General, 365
Paul, the little orphan, 130
Pawnee-Loups, 86
Peace Commission, 343, 347; Policy,

Grant's Indian, 362; the Cross of,

182; River, 187
Pend d'Oreilles of the Bay (faot-note^

136; Peter, chief of, 133
Penn, William, 318
Perils of Emigrant-ships, 257
Peteghem in Ghent, 26
Petit, Father, 220
Philadelphia, 23
Pierre, Fort, 117
Pierre's Hole, no
Pius IX blesses the Caw d'Attnes,

370; raises Usage and Potawatonii

missions to vicariatr apostolic, 22$
Platte or Nebraska River, 104
Pleasanton, Major-GtrntTal, atto, 550
Point, Father Nicholas, &keU*h ^(,

120, 165, 194

Poncas, Miobrara, homo **f the, jjoH
Population of San Francisco,

of St. Louis, 35; of Unita!

in 1780, 96

Portage ties Sioux, #\ 79
Potawatomies, ask tor a Bfork

79, Bo, 83, 85; camp nvar

Bluffs, 8o v 220; fear Sioux*

117 (footnote) f aw, Jf^7, 501;

sion amon^, raised to vicarulc

Powder Kivr, 351, 356
Presbyterian^ Sc* IVrcdt Kv*tn to

the, 365

President Jaekson, ,^5
President Washington to the Cath*

lies, as
r

Protestant Hoilaiul. fertility *f 17;
ministers interfara with wtrk f 4$

Randolph Benton, Con wn&Hi <*f 260
RavalH, Father, 171, 175, t$3 t 343,

Red Fish, daughter of, 210; #rw *,f, ^12
Redskins, abuse of the m>r4 (/iwi-

" Reduction*,

126

" Paraguay

INDEX

399

Reiselman, Brother Henry, 31

RS, Isle of, 4

Ringoot, Father, 5

Rocky Mountain House, 189

Rocky Mountains, apostle of the, 95;
Father De Smet writes verses to,
122; devotions in the, 135; Mis-
sions of, 281

Rogier, Charles, 333

Rollicr, Baptiste, 5

Rome, Bishop Hughes in, 154

Root-diggers or Snakes, also called
Shoshones, 107, 131

Roothaan, Very Rev. John, General
of the Society of Jesus, 55, 60,
155, 246, 249

Rosary, Father De Smet, apostle of,
29

Rosati, Bishop, confers Holy Orders
on Father De Smet and his three
companions, 46; offers ground for
a Catholic college near St. Louis,
58; sketch of (footnote), 58

Roulers, 26

Rumbeke, 26

Russia, Jesuits in, 25

Sacred Heart, Ladies of the, 37;
Society of the, 132

Saints, Latter-Day, 269

Sa'lish-an stock, Flatheads belong
to the (foot-note), 97

11 Samson," 7, 39

San Francisco, Mission of, Father
Bouchard appointed to, 219; in-
crease in population of, 229

Santa Fe", Bishop Lamy of, 268

Santees, 330

Saskatchewan, p range separating wa-
ters of the Columbia from, 182,
185; Fort Edmonton on the, 187,
189

Sa-tan-ka. (See Sitting-Bull)

Savings Bank, Emigrants 1 , 208

Schelde, dikes of the> I ; translator's
note on, i

Schoenmakers, Father, 222

Seizure of Indians' Land, ( 3i9

Seminoles on Indian Territory, 97

Seventh Council of Baltimore, 225

Shawncetown, Louisville to, 34

"Shepherd of the Valley/' paper
founded by Bishop Rosati, 60

Sheridan, General, on Peace Com-
mission, 348

Sherman, General, on Peace Com-
mission, 348

Sbley, General, sent against the
Sioux, $25

Sighouin, Louise, daughter of chief
of Cceur d' Alettes, 166

Simon, the old Flathead Indian, 123

Sioux City, 342

Sioux Nation, 97, 117, 208, 209, 325,

329, 357

Sisters of Charity, Loretto Congre-
gation of, 13; of Notre Dame de
Namur, 157, 192, 305; among the
Blackfeet, 360

Sitting-Bull (Sa-tan-ka), 345, 351;
revolt of, 356; how named (foot-
note] 1,347

Slave Lajke, 187

Sleydinge, 4

Smarms of Brabant, Father, 256

Smedts, John, of Rotselaer, 1 5, 17, 3 17

Snakes, also called Shoshones or
Root-diggers, 107, 131

Spokanes, 106

Specht, Brother, 121, 136

Society for the Propagation of the
Faith, 37; of Jesus re-established
in America, 14; Father De Smet
withdraws from, on account of
illness, 71; Father Verhaegen re-
admits him to, 75

Standard of Father De Smet, 355

Stanley, Major-General, 357

Statue at Termonde, Father De
Smet's (foot-note), 390

Steptoe, Colonel, attacked by In-
dians, 274

Strahan, Brother Charles, 31, 40

Saint Acheul, College of, 66; Amand-
lez-Puers, 2, 15; Ange, Fathers
De Smet and Hoecken embark on,
230; cholera on, 231; death of
Father Hoecken on, 231; Anne,
church built by Father De Smet
in St. Louis, 259; Anne's Mission,
187; Charles, parish of, 49; Ferdi-
nand (foot-note), 50; Francis Bor-
gia's among the Pend d'Oreilles,
170; Francis Hieronymo's Mission,
222; Francis Regis Mission, 173,
194.; Francis Xavier's near the
Willamette, 164; Ignatius, Moun-
tain dedicated to, in; Ignatius'
Mission, 170, 187, 194, 277; Jo-
seph's College, 163; St. Louis, nov-
ices in sight of, 34; population of,
35; description of, 57,58; Catholic
college near, 58; University of, 60;
77, 228; attacks on Catholicism in,,
262; Mary's Convent, 162; Mary's,
Mission (foot-note), 95; among the-
Flatheads, 126, 136, 169; attacked
by Blackfeet, 179; missionaries,
abandon, 2^45; reopened, 304; Paul
Colville Mission, 173; abandoned,,
273; Peter of the Lakes, 191?
Peter's Mission, 173

Subsidies for Qsage and Potawatomi
Missions, 301

400

INDEX

Sugar Creek, 220

Sully, General, sent against the Sioux,

326; will not consent to peace, 330;

asks for missionary, 337; on Peace

Commission, 343, 347
Sulpicians, 25
Switzerland and Italy, Jesuits from,

207

Tchatka, the Assinibion chief, 294

Termonde, description of, I, 2, 7, 12;
statue at (foot-note), 390

Territory of Oregon, 146

Terry, General, on Peace Commis-
sion, 348

Testimony of Father Cataldo, 244

Teton Mountains (foot-note), no

Texel Island, 20, 23

Thibault, Father, 187

Timmermans, Father Peter, 27, 28,

41

Treaty of Fort Laramie, 235
Tulalip Agency (foot-note), 362
Turin Province, 214
Turnhout, 27, 63

Two Bears, chief of the Yanktons,
359

Umatilla Agency (foot-note), 363
United States grants subsidies to In-
dian school, 52; population of, in
1780, 76; asks Father De Smet to
mediate, 340
University of St. Louis, 60

Van Assche, Joost, companion of
Father De Smet, 15 (foot-note), 17,
46, 54; celebrates fiftieth anni-
versary, 374; Father De Smet's
funeral Mass, 387
Van Boxelaere, Father, 17, 21
Vancouver, Catholic church at, 147
Van de Velde, Rev. James, Bishop of
Natchez, 60, 202; assistant Vice-
Provincial, 213, 242; death of, 317
Van Horzig, companion of Father

De Smet, 15, 23
Van Lil, Father, Belgian Provincial,

62, 67, 73

Van Mossevelde, Charles, 5, 63
Van Quickenborne, Father, Master
of Novices at Whitemarsh, 26;
energies of, 27; Superior of Floris-
sant, 30, 4.1; heroic endurance of,
38; appointed Vicar-General, 44;
spiritual director, 51; goes west,
60, 78 (foot-note), 79
Vercruysse, Father, 159, 273
Verhaegen, Peter, companion of
Father De Smet, 15, 41, 49, 59
(footnote) 61, 75* "6. 153, soa;
takes Father De Smet's place as

Assistant Procurator, 239; death

of (foot-note), 374
Verheyden, Peter, of Termonde, 67,

69

Verlooy, Father (foot-note), n, 16
Vermillion, 90; Fort, 117
Verreydt, Felix, companion of Father

De Smet, 15, 46, 49, 79, So, 87

(foot-note), 95, 220 j celebrates fif-

tieth anniversary, 374
Veulemans, Father, companion of

Father De Smet, 1 5, 23
Vice-Province of Missouri, sketch of,

214
Victor, chief of Flathcads, 132, 145;

President Sacred Heart Society,

132; sends message to Gregory

XVI, 156
Virgin, Blessed, appears to children,

124, 130; Society of, among the

Flatheads, 133
Vows, novices make first, at Floris-

sant, 40

Walla Walla, 194

Walloons (foot-note), xo

War, of Independence, 25; in the

United States, Civil. 299
Washington (President j to the Cutho-

Hcs, 25

Watomika, 217
Weninger, Father, 256
"Western Missions ovJ Mission-

aries," publication t>f f 303
Westport {now Kan&ui Cityt, u<
West, progress of the, 254, ^55
Wheeling, 32
White and Althan, S. J. + Father**

2^

Whitemarah, noviiiati* at* *j, 2f t y&
Willamette, CathpHf daatvh at. 147,

148; St, Pnimis XavirrV, Miv;i"n

near the, 164; Father

at, 246
Wright, CuXonvl, vanqui?Ju^

Yakimas, Catholic
bidden to enter rttwrvafion
Ipjnace, chief *>f t 31*7

Yanktons, Chwt

for-

Year

Yellowstone, idtt, i,u

Young, BrijRjhAfn, clvfte* Unit^J St;ii

Governniimt, 3^
Young Igmatu*, 99^ 109,

Zcrbinati, Father {footnote), 157,

169
Zuider Zee, 19